Scaling-up molecular logic to meso-systems via self-assembly

Due to the small size and biocompatibility of molecules, molecular logic-based computation is a gateway to the informational basis of life processes. Logic-based computation operates widely with discrete molecules of up to nanometric sizes. The contribution of molecule-based bulk materials of milli/centimetric size to the field has begun in more recent years. However, artificial molecule-based meso-scale systems which intrinsically perform logic operations are very rare. Here, we show that self-assembled systems consisting of cyclophane octacarboxylates and a cationic surfactant can perform such functions, where a membrane itself behaves as a Reset-Set Flip-Flop which is integrated with 7 more logic elements. Now that molecular logic-based computation operates across a wide range of contiguous size-scales, the way opens for its general use in information processing aspects of biology and synthetic biology.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-03-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58379-0
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.76

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article en
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Abstract

Due to the small size and biocompatibility of molecules, molecular logic-based computation is a gateway to the informational basis of life processes. Logic-based computation operates widely with discrete molecules of up to nanometric sizes. The contribution of molecule-based bulk materials of milli/centimetric size to the field has begun in more recent years. However, artificial molecule-based meso-scale systems which intrinsically perform logic operations are very rare. Here, we show that self-assembled systems consisting of cyclophane octacarboxylates and a cationic surfactant can perform such functions, where a membrane itself behaves as a Reset-Set Flip-Flop which is integrated with 7 more logic elements. Now that molecular logic-based computation operates across a wide range of contiguous size-scales, the way opens for its general use in information processing aspects of biology and synthetic biology.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Queen's University Belfast (GB), Central South University (CN), East China University of Science and Technology (CN), The University of Tokyo (JP), The University of Texas at Austin (US)
Leverhulme Trust, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University, China Scholarship Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 33%
Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection
0.76
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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