Soft supramolecular materials

Soft Supramolecular Materials (SSM) are multicomponent materials formed by the bulk supramolecular assembly/aggregation of building units into a regular structure, with stronger bonding within building units and weaker bonding between them. The nature of the building units may vary from simple molecules to nanoparticles, and the forces linking the units together may vary from coordinative to van der Waals. Recently SSM have attracted a great deal of attention due to their wide variability, easy conversion from one structure to another, and active response to external stimuli. It seems evident that the progress in the chemistry of SSM predestines the appearance of a new generation of functional and "smart" materials.