MPI-DS Colloquium: Supramolecular chemistry under non-equilibrium conditions

Supramolecular chemistry has made enormous progress in the development of sensors, catalysis, and materials exploiting the thermodynamically controlled formation of noncovalent interactions between molecules. Yet, nature shows that operating under non-equilibrium conditions can lead to enhanced properties (e.g. selectivity in molecular recognition using kinetic proofreading) or is a prerequisite for certain processes (e.g. directional motion, pumping against a concentration gradient). Operating synthetic systems under non-equilibrium conditions is therefore expected to improve their functional properties. Here, I will present recent examples of our group in which non-equilibrium chemistry is used to enhance the properties of supramolecular systems from the molecular to the macroscopic scale [1-3].
1. Marchetti, T. ; Roberts, B.M.W.; Frezzato, D.; Prins, L.J. A minimalistic synthetic metabolic cycle that consumes ADP, Angew.Chem.Int.Ed. 2024, 63. e202402965
2. Kar, H.; Goldin, L.; Frezzato, D.; Prins, L.J. Local Self-assembly of dissipative structures sustained by substrate diffusion Angew.Chem.Int.Ed. 2024, 63, e202404583
3. Roberts, B.M.W.; Del Grosso, E.; Penocchio, E.; Ricci, F.; Prins, L.J. An information ratchet improves selectivity in molecular recognition under non-equilibrium conditions Nat.Nanotech. 2025, 20, 1449-1456