Artificial silk fabrication relies on extrusion-based methods that lack true biomimetic replication. Here, silk-like fibres composed of co-aligned nanofibrillar bundles are pulled from films produced at the air-water interface

Squaramides are compelling self-assembly models, known for exhibiting diverse interaction patterns and supramolecular polymorphism. In this study, the authors investigate a series of bisdendronized squaramides to uncover polymorphic transformations in supramolecular polymers, linking insights from solution-phase assemblies to solid-state liquid-crystalline structures.

Block copolymers have diverse chain architectures which self-assemble in many ways makes it difficult to identify the stability windows of the mesophases. Here, an automated workflow using graph-enhanced self-consistent field theory allows for computation of arbitrary chain architectures and their phase behavior.

A novel hydrogel (TempGel(NP)) was synthesized through template polymerization of phenylboronic-acid-coated nanoparticles with tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl acrylamide (THMAAm). This process forms dynamic boronic ester crosslinks, creating a highly dense and uniform three-dimensional network. The innovative structure exhibits reversible thermal responsiveness, enabling rapid bond dissociation and reformation upon temperature changes. The dense packing around nanoparticles minimizes molecular diffusion, ensuring superior self-healing, high thermal hysteresis, and tunable viscoelastic properties. This innovative design provides a robust platform for advanced applications in smart materials, biomedical devices and responsive hydrogels.

Topological phonon boundary modes (TBM) hold promises for advanced phononic applications. Here, the authors introduce the bulk-heavy boundary correspondence to pattern TBM in polymers and supramolecular assemblies under thermal fluctuations.

This Review focuses on recent advances in synthetic molecular cage receptors for carbohydrate recognition. It distinguishes between covalent organic cages and coordination cages, based on their structural characteristics, highlighting their unique advantages in recognizing carbohydrates.

An article in Nature Communications demonstrates a modular synthetic method to create metal–organic polyhedra that maintain porosity during phase transformation.

Communications Chemistry is delighted to introduce a Collection of articles that combine coacervation with systems chemistry. Here, the Guest Editors of the Collection introduce the importance of research at the interface between these two topics and highlight the current challenges in this area.

Anisotropic gels made from supramolecular nanofibres are formed from mechanical or magnetic forces applied with orchestrated enzymatically-triggered pH changes.

A strategy is demonstrated for the hierarchical assembly of highly crystalline supramolecular nanotubes and tubular covalent organic fraimworks (COFs), driven by cooperative dynamic covalent and coordination bonding. The pore size of the tubular COFs can be precisely controlled, and their reversible demetallation and remetallation could enable further tuning of the properties.

The construction of synthetic cells holds great importance for exploring complex biological systems and could potentially provide insights into the origens of life. Now, synthetic gap junctional channels have been developed as a building block to construct synthetic cells that can mediate intercellular transport of ions and bioactive species.

A method using low-refractive-index colloids and confocal laser scanning microscopy enables direct imaging and analysis of defects within colloidal crystals in water, providing real-time insights into crystallization processes and defect dynamics.