Supramolecular Nanostructures

Abstract

Guest editors Dave J. Adams and Subi J. George discuss what supramolecular chemistry can bring to nanoscience and the wide range of topics covered in this special issue. Supramolecular assembly results from non‐covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, and electrostatics. Whilst individually these interactions are not very strong, when many interactions act cooperatively, this can be sufficient to result in the formation of defined structures and useful materials. The resulting materials tend to be responsive, as it can be easy to provide sufficient energy to modify the interactions such that new structures are favoured, or such that the structures fall apart. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded twice for aspects of Supramolecular Chemistry, and there is now a huge diversity of materials that can be formed. In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight further the importance of this field, which spans a wide range of areas.