Field-directed and confined molecular assembly of mesostructured materials: Basic principles and new opportunities

Molecular assembly enables the formation of material systems with multiple compositions and functions that are structured at the mesoscale (2-50 nm) and beyond. This approach allows structure control through the competitive tuning of bulk and surface interactions to yield new mechanical, catalytic, optoelectronic, biological, and other properties. The molecular-assembly process is governed by the interactions between different components of the assembling system and with their external environment. This review summarizes the fundamental principles of molecular assembly in the synthesis of mesostructured inorganic-organic materials and focuses on recent attempts to utilize external fields (magnetic, electric, or mechanical) and dimensional confinement (in one, two, and three dimensions) to direct the molecular assembly of mesostructured organic-in organic hybrids with astonishing complexity.