MOLECULAR ASSEMBLY AND ENCAPSULATION DIRECTED BY HYDROGEN-BONDING PREFERENCES AND THE FILLING OF SPACE

Multiple copies of a molecule, held together in finite aggregates, giv e rise to properties and functions that are unique to their assembled states. Because these aggregates are held together by weak forces oper ating over short distances, a premium is placed on complementarity: Th e molecular surfaces must facilitate specific interactions that direct the assembly to one aggregate rather than another. Hydrogen-bonding p references can be combined with molecular curvature to favor the assem bly of four self-complementary subunits into a pseudo-spherical capsul e. Filling the capsule with smaller, complementary molecules provides the final instruction for the assembly process.