Turing patterns by supramolecular self-assembly of a single salphen building block

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Chemical Morphogenesis
• Materials Science

Background:

• Alan Turing's 1950s work demonstrated pattern generation via chemical reactions and diffusion of activating/inhibiting species.
• Previous models required multiple molecular components with differing diffusivities for pattern formation.
• Achieving Turing patterns from a single molecular component remained an elusive goal in chemical morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel single-molecule system capable of generating Turing patterns.
• To demonstrate pattern formation using supramolecular interactions instead of chemical reactions.
• To overcome the limitation of requiring multiple components with distinct diffusivities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a family of hydroxylated organic salphen building blocks with a bis-Schiff-base scaffold.
• Employed supramolecular interactions for assembly and disassembly, controlled by solvent dielectric constant and evaporation.
• Generated diffusional differences from heterogeneously populated self-assembled products.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated Turing patterns arrested in the solid state from a single molecular system.
• Demonstrated that supramolecular interactions can drive pattern formation analogous to chemical Turing patterns.
• Showcased the role of solvent properties and evaporation in controlling self-assembly and pattern generation.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a paradigm shift by achieving Turing pattern formation using a single molecular component.
• Supramolecular chemistry offers a new avenue for creating complex patterns without relying on traditional chemical reactions.
• The developed system provides a foundation for designing novel materials with autonomous pattern-forming capabilities.