Using UV light to break down self-assembling molecules into co-assembling fragments.

Molecules 1 and 2 can self-assemble separately into nanostructures. The exposure to UV light will disrupt these nanostructures by splitting 1 into shorter fragments 3 and 4, and splitting 2 into 4 and 5. The new mixture of shorter fragments can spontaneously recombine into novel shapes.

Date:
19 May 2017
Share on: