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Updated: May 13, 2026
10:34
Ligand Nano-cluster Arrays in a Supported Lipid Bilayer
Published on: April 23, 2017
Ligand-Triggered Topology Switching Converts Transient Recognition into Durable Nanofibrillar Anchoring
1Institute of Systems Biomedicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P. R. China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|May 12, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a ligand-triggered topology-switching strategy for supramolecular chemistry. It converts transient molecular recognition into persistent structures, overcoming washout for durable interfacial retention and restoring vascular homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Materials science
- Chemical engineering
Background:
- Transient molecular recognition is difficult to convert into persistent structures under nonequilibrium conditions.
- Hemodynamic washout poses a challenge for maintaining molecular assemblies in biological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a ligand-triggered topology-switching strategy to create persistent interfacial architectures.
- To overcome hemodynamic washout by coupling receptor engagement with in situ phase transitions.
- To transform short-lived binding events into durable interfacial retention for potential therapeutic applications.
Main Methods:
- A kinetically trapped metastable assembly was designed.
- The system was engineered to circulate as discrete nanospheres.
- A cooperative topological switch into an entangled nanofibrillar network was induced upon specific integrin recognition.
Main Results:
- The ligand-induced fibrillation shifted the assembly from a mobile to an adhesive state.
- The mechanism enabled site-specific anchoring and gated bioactivity in a thrombosis model.
- Vascular homeostasis was effectively restored using this approach.
Conclusions:
- Ligand-triggered topology switching is a viable chemical paradigm.
- This strategy translates transient biological interactions into robust functional materials.
- The approach offers a new method for creating persistent molecular architectures under dynamic conditions.
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