Molecular architectonics: De Nova design of advanced functional materials

Molecular architectonics has its essence in the custom design and engineering of molecular assemblies by judicious exploitation of the noncovalent forces to construct ordered architectures with novel properties and functions. This concept of designing noncovalent systems enable us to construct functional architectures for biological and non-biological applications,while strengthen our efforts in understanding the art of controlled molecular assemblies. However, the art of mastering the programmed molecular assemblies is a challenging task owing to complex factors that govern recognition events at the molecular level. In this context, biomolecules or biomimetic auxiliaries with built-in information for molecular recognition are capable of guiding the controlled molecular assembly of functional modular units to construct nano, micro, and macroarchitectures. The derived molecular and nanoarchitectures developed in our group have led to bioelectronics, homochirality, chirality switching, reductionistic systems to understand protein folding, high-strength biomaterials, self-cleaning, biosensors, biomimetic catalysis, multi-stimuli-responsive RT organic ferroelectrics, fluorescent organic nanoclusters, drug delivery, wound-healing, stem cells to neuronal differentiation, and tissue engineering applications. In this talk, I shall present exquisite designer molecular units developed through the scheme of molecular architectonics with an objective to master the art of molecular recognition and assembly for functional applications. (author)