Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems
Abstract Supramolecular polymers are composed of monomers that self-assemble non-covalently generating distributions of fibres in continuous exchange-and-communication with each other and the surroundings. Intriguing collective properties may emerge in such molecular-scale complex systems, following...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60150-4 |
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| author | Martina Crippa Claudio Perego Giovanni M. Pavan |
| author_facet | Martina Crippa Claudio Perego Giovanni M. Pavan |
| author_sort | Martina Crippa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Supramolecular polymers are composed of monomers that self-assemble non-covalently generating distributions of fibres in continuous exchange-and-communication with each other and the surroundings. Intriguing collective properties may emerge in such molecular-scale complex systems, following mechanisms often difficult to ascertain. Here we show how non-trivial collective behaviours may emerge in dynamical supramolecular polymer systems already at low-complexity levels. We combine minimalistic models, simulations, and advanced statistical analyses investigating how cooperative and non-cooperative supramolecular polymer systems respond to a specific stimulus: i.e., the addition of molecular sequestrators perturbing their equilibrium. Our data show how, while in a non-cooperative system all assemblies populating the system suffer uniformly the perturbation, in a cooperative system the larger/stronger assemblies survive at the expense of the smaller/weaker entities. Collective behaviours typical of larger-scale and more complex (social, economic, etc.) systems may thus emerge even in relatively simple self-assembling systems from the internal (microscopic) dynamic heterogeneity of their ensembles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e10bd9332ee14c8aab12f5b1720588e8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e10bd9332ee14c8aab12f5b1720588e82025-08-20T01:59:56ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-60150-4Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systemsMartina Crippa0Claudio Perego1Giovanni M. Pavan2Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di TorinoDepartment of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus EstDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di TorinoAbstract Supramolecular polymers are composed of monomers that self-assemble non-covalently generating distributions of fibres in continuous exchange-and-communication with each other and the surroundings. Intriguing collective properties may emerge in such molecular-scale complex systems, following mechanisms often difficult to ascertain. Here we show how non-trivial collective behaviours may emerge in dynamical supramolecular polymer systems already at low-complexity levels. We combine minimalistic models, simulations, and advanced statistical analyses investigating how cooperative and non-cooperative supramolecular polymer systems respond to a specific stimulus: i.e., the addition of molecular sequestrators perturbing their equilibrium. Our data show how, while in a non-cooperative system all assemblies populating the system suffer uniformly the perturbation, in a cooperative system the larger/stronger assemblies survive at the expense of the smaller/weaker entities. Collective behaviours typical of larger-scale and more complex (social, economic, etc.) systems may thus emerge even in relatively simple self-assembling systems from the internal (microscopic) dynamic heterogeneity of their ensembles.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60150-4 |
| spellingShingle | Martina Crippa Claudio Perego Giovanni M. Pavan Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems Nature Communications |
| title | Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| title_full | Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| title_fullStr | Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| title_short | Non-trivial stimuli-responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| title_sort | non trivial stimuli responsive collective behaviours emerging from microscopic dynamic complexity in supramolecular polymer systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60150-4 |
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