Main Principles

Question 1

Define self-assembly

Answer 1

Process in which components spontaneously form ordered aggregates.

Question 2

How must components interact for self-assembly to occur?

Answer 2

-Through a balance of attractive + repulsive interactions
-weak, non-covalent

Question 3

Why are weak interactions necessary?

Answer 3

Required for reversibility (need components to be able to adjust their positions within an aggregate in order to form an ordered structure).

Question 4

What state of matter must self-assembly occur in and why?

Answer 4

In solution as the components should be able to move.

Question 5

What are the 7 interactions involved in self-assembly?

Answer 5

-Hydrophobic effect -> e.g. phospholipids forming micellar structures when in solution with high water conc to minimise contact of hydrophobic tail with solution
-Hydrogen bonding
-Pi stacking
-Van der Waals interactions
-Ionic bonds
-Electrostatic interactions
-REVERSIBLE covalent S-S bonds in protein folding -> need weak S-S bonds to keep protein folds and as they are weak they are reversible, so can unfold if required.

Question 6

For spontaneous self-assembly to occur, what condition must be satisfied?

Answer 6

Need to gain energy, therefore deltaG in deltaG = deltaH - TdeltaS must be NEGATIVE