Encoding information and transporting cargo with a supramolecular oscillator Michael G. Howlett, Anthonius H. J. Engwerda and Stephen P. Fletcher University of Oxford, UK A key goal of chemistry is to develop synthetic systems that mimic biology, such as self-assembling, self- replicating models of life. Oscillations are often observed in complex biological networks, and are fascinating non-equilibrium phenomena. Yet, life-like oscillators using self-replicating chemical species are unknown, and how to control supramolecular oscillations is also not established. We have developed a chemically-fuelled supramolecular system where the concentration of autocatalytic lipids autonomously oscillates, causing micellar compartments to repeatedly appear and disappear in time, without human intervention. 1 The reaction swings back and forth like a pendulum, oscillating between phases of micelle formation and destruction. Through mechanistic understanding of this dynamic system, we have been able to freely tune the amplitude and frequency of the oscillations. If harnessed, chemical oscillators such as this may unlock new directions for (supra)molecular technology across different length scales. To this end, our recent studies also show that these oscillations can transport material in an oscillation-driven pump and can encode information in the form of chemical waves.
References 1. M. G. Howlett, A. H. J. Engwerda, R. J. H. Scanes and S. P. Fletcher, Nat. Chem. 14, 805-810 (2022)
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