CryoEM reveals the complex self-assembly of a chemically driven disulfide hydrogel.

ABSTRACT: Inspired by the adaptability of biological materials, a variety of synthetic, chemically driven self-assembly processes have been developed that result in the transient formation of supramolecular structures. These structures form through two simultaneous reactions, forward and backward, which generate and consume a molecule that undergoes self-assembly. The dynamics of these assembly processes have been shown to differ from conventional thermodynamically stable molecular assemblies. However, the evolution of nanoscale morphologies in chemically driven self-assembly and how they compare to conventional assemblies has not been resolved. Here, we use a chemically driven redox system to separately carry out the forward and backward reactions. We analyze the forward and backward reactions both

SUBMITTER: Hurst PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10793653 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature