Self-Assembly to Function: Supramolecular Architectures and Functional Soft Materials

Self-assembly in soft matter lies at the forefront of materials science, driving the creation of intricate, functional architectures and complex systems from basic molecular and supramolecular building blocks. Systems comprising small molecules, amphiphiles, peptides, and supramolecular polymers exploit non-covalent forces (including hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, host–guest chemistry, and ion-mediated coordination interactions and hydrophobic effects) to spontaneously form nanostructured and mesostructured materials. Recent research has produced striking progress in controlling and understanding these assemblies as a function of diverse physical and chemical cues. However, critical questions remain about the relationship between assembly pathways, kinetic processes, hierarchical structuring, the emergence of targeted macroscopic functions, and application-relevant performance. In this context, functionality is increasingly understood not only as a consequence of static structure, but as the result of dynamic processes such as transport, aggregation, and interactions with complex, often heterogeneous and spatially inhomogeneous environments. Achieving a deeper, predictive understanding of these factors is pivotal for advancing the understanding and design of soft materials with programmable or emergent mechanical, optical, interfacial, and chemical behaviors across natural and innovative next generation engineered systems.This Research Topic aims to provide a platform for contributions that link foundational design principles of molecular and supramolecular self-assembly in both natural and engineered systems to emergent material properties and functions. The objective is to highlight innovative strategies for understanding and controlling dynamic, responsive, and hierarchically organized, as well as complex heterogeneous soft matter systems, including those found in synthetic, environmental, and biological contexts, that bridge nano- and mesoscale architectures to macroscopic performance. We encourage submissions that shed light on how environmental and external stimuli — such as pH, ion gradients, solvent composition, temperature, light, or redox conditions — directly influence adaptivity and reconfigurability in soft materials. This also encompasses how these factors influence functional outcomes such as transport, mobility, retention, reactivity, or environmental interactions. Of particular interest are studies elucidating assembly–property relationships, the formation and functional behavior of gels and matrices inspired by biological systems or enzymes, the development and functional characterization of self-assembled optical and emissive materials (including aggregation-induced emission and solvatochromism), as well as investigations into the role of interfaces and surfaces in governing structure–function relationships and transport processes.. Both experimental research and tightly integrated computational or theoretical work that advance understanding of self-assembly mechanisms and their impact on resulting material properties and functions are welcome.This Research Topic focuses on the fundamental understanding, design principles, characterization, and functional behavior of self-assembled and supramolecular soft materials, spanning molecular interactions, dynamic assembly pathways, hierarchical organization, and emergent macroscopic functions. Authors are invited to address, but not be limited to, the following themes:• Principles and mechanisms of molecular and supramolecular self-assembly in soft matter• Stimuli-responsive and adaptive assemblies with dynamic or reconfigurable behavior• Pathways, kinetics, and hierarchical organization from nano- to meso-scale structures• Assembly–property relationships underpinning mechanical, optical, interfacial, or chemical functions• Design, characterization, and understanding of functional behavior in functional supramolecular gels, soft matrices, and bioinspired and biological systems• Transport, diffusion, and aggregation phenomena in self-assembled and structured soft matter systems• Self-assembled soft materials with tunable emission or optical properties• Self-assembly phenomena at soft interfaces, including wetting, adhesion, and surface patterning• Advanced experimental and theoretical approaches for characterizing and modeling self-assembled structures and their functions. Topic editors: Bappaditya Roy, Silke Rathgeber Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81995/self-assembly-to-function-supramolecular-architectures-and-functional-soft-materials