Adaptive Chemical Networks under Non-Equilibrium Conditions: The Evaporating Droplet

Photoswitchable Imines Drive Dynamic Covalent Systems to Nonequilibrium Steady States

Coupling a photochemical reaction to a thermal exchange process can drive the latter to a nonequilibrium steady state (NESS) under photoirradiation. Typically, systems use separate motifs for photoresponse and equilibrium-related processes. Here, we show that photoswitchable imines can fulfill both roles simultaneously, autonomously driving a dynamic covalent system into a NESS under continuous light irradiation. We demonstrate this using transimination reactions, where E-to-Z photoisomerism generates a more kinetically labile species. At the NESS, energy is stored both in the metastable Z-isomer of the imine and in the system's nonequilibrium constitution; when the light is switched off, this stored energy is released as the system reverts to its equilibrium state. The system operates autonomously under continuous light irradiation and exhibits characteristics of a light-driven information ratchet. This is enabled by the dual-role of the imine linkage as both the photochromic and dynamic covalent bond. This work highlights the ability and application of these imines to drive systems to NESSs, thus offering a novel approach in the field of systems chemistry.

Colloidal self-assembly of soft neural interfaces from injectable photovoltaic microdevices

Biomimetic retinas with a wide field of view and high resolution are in demand for neuroprosthetics and robot vision. Conventional neural prostheses are manufactured outside the application area and implanted as a complete device using invasive surgery. Here, a minimally invasive strategy based on in situ self-assembly of photovoltaic microdevices (PVMs) is presented. The photoelectricity transduced by PVMs upon visible light illumination reaches the intensity levels that could effectively activate the retinal ganglion cell layers. The geometry and multilayered architecture of the PVMs along with the tunability of their physical properties such as size and stiffness allow several routes for initiating a self-assembly process. The spatial distribution and packing density of the PVMs within the assembled device are modulated through concentration, liquid discharge speed, and coordinated self-assembly steps. Subsequent injection of a photocurable and transparent polymer facilitates tissue integration and reinforces the cohesion of the device. Taken together, the presented methodology introduces three unique features: minimally invasive implantation, personalized visual field and acuity, and a device geometry adaptable to retina topography.

Teaching indicators to unravel the kinetic features of host–guest inclusion complexes

Three new, practically convenient methods are introduced for measuring kinetic parameters of supramolecular host–guest and protein–ligand complexes. Combined with thermodynamic data, this allows for an in-depth of the binding mechanism.

Multiple adaptation of constitutional dynamic networks and information storage in constitutional distributions of acylhydrazones

We report a study of the behavior of four dynamic covalent libraries (DCLs) based on acylhydrazones aAbB and of the corresponding square constitutional dynamic networks (CDNs) NA-ND under the effect of three agents, namely, metal cations, base + metal cations and light irradiation; in particular, the successful switching of the CDN NB between two orthogonal distributions results, respectively, from metallo-selection and photo-selection. The four DCLs undergo triple adaptation when subjected to the three agents with the generation of specific CDN distributions characteristic of each of the four DCLs. The ternary outputs displayed by the DCLs present three states (-1, 0 and 1) related to three different constitutional distributions expressed in response to the triple inputs applied. This latter process amounts to the storage of molecular information in dynamic distributions rather than in selective interactions between complementary entities undergoing molecular recognition.

Structure Evolution and Drying Dynamics in Sliding Cholesteric Cellulose Nanocrystals

The study of colloidal liquid crystals (LCs) reveals fundamental insights into the nature of ordered materials, giving rise to emergent properties with fascinating applications in soft matter nanotechnology. Here we investigate the shape instabilities, layer undulations, dynamic assembly, and collective behaviors in evaporating a cellulose nanocrystal-based cholesteric LC drop. During the drying process, the drop edges are pinned to the substrate with spontaneous convective flow occurring along the drop, which leads to nonequilibrium sliding of the individual cholesteric fragment with active ordering as well as hydrodynamic fluctuations and flow transitions in the bulk cholesteric phase.

Exploring the emergence of complexity using synthetic replicators

A significant number of synthetic systems capable of replicating themselves or entities that are complementary to themselves have appeared in the last 30 years. Building on an understanding of the operation of synthetic replicators in isolation, this field has progressed to examples where catalytic relationships between replicators within the same network and the extant reaction conditions play a role in driving phenomena at the level of the whole system. Systems chemistry has played a pivotal role in the attempts to understand the origin of biological complexity by exploiting the power of synthetic chemistry, in conjunction with the molecular recognition toolkit pioneered by the field of supramolecular chemistry, thereby permitting the bottom-up engineering of increasingly complex reaction networks from simple building blocks. This review describes the advances facilitated by the systems chemistry approach in relating the expression of complex and emergent behaviour in networks of replicators with the connectivity and catalytic relationships inherent within them. These systems, examined within well-stirred batch reactors, represent conceptual and practical frameworks that can then be translated to conditions that permit replicating systems to overcome the fundamental limits imposed on selection processes in networks operating under closed conditions. This shift away from traditional spatially homogeneous reactors towards dynamic and non-equilibrium conditions, such as those provided by reaction-diffusion reaction formats, constitutes a key change that mimics environments within cellular systems, which possess obvious compartmentalisation and inhomogeneity.

Surface immobilized azomethine for multiple component exchange

Diazonium chemistry concomitant with in situ electrochemical reduction was used to graft an aryl aldehyde to indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates. This served as an anchor for preparing electroactive azomethines that were covalently bonded to the transparent electrode. The immobilized azomethines could undergo multiple step-wise component exchanges with different arylamines. The write-erase-write sequences were electrochemically confirmed. The azomethines could also be reversibly hydrolyzed. This was exploited for multiple azomethine-hydrolysis cycles resulting in discrete electroactive immobilized azomethines. The erase-rewrite sequences were also electrochemically confirmed.

Dynamic Covalent Chemistry of Aldehyde Enamines: BiIII - and ScIII -Catalysis of Amine-Enamine Exchange

The dynamic exchange of enamines from secondary amines and enolizable aldehydes has been demonstrated in organic solvents. The enamine exchange with amines was efficiently catalyzed by Bi(OTf)3 and Sc(OTf)3 (2 mol %) and the equilibria (60 mm) could be attained within hours at room temperature. The formed dynamic covalent systems displayed high stabilities in basic environment with <2 % by-product formation within one week after complete equilibration. This study expands the scope of dynamic C-N bonds from imine chemistry to enamines, enabling further dynamic methodologies in exploration of this important class of structures in systems chemistry.

Irreversible Conversion of a Water-Ethanol Solution into an Organized Two-Dimensional Network of Alternating Supramolecular Units in a Hydrophobic Zeolite under Pressure

Turning disorder into organization is a key issue in science. By making use of X-ray powder diffraction and modeling studies, we show herein that high pressures in combination with the shape and space constraints of the hydrophobic all-silica zeolite ferrierite separate an ethanol-water liquid mixture into ethanol dimer wires and water tetramer squares. The confined supramolecular blocks alternate in a binary two-dimensional (2D) architecture that remains stable upon complete pressure release. These results support the combined use of high pressures and porous networks as a viable strategy for driving the organization of molecules or nano-objects towards complex, pre-defined patterns relevant for the realization of novel functional nanocomposites.