Liquid crystals have been extensively used in various applications, such as optoelectronic devices, biomedical applications, sensors and biosensors, and packaging, among others. Liquid crystal polymers are one type of liquid crystal material, combining their intrinsic properties with polymeric flexibility for advanced applications in displays and smart materials. For instance, liquid crystal polymers can serve as drug nanocarriers, forming cubic or hexagonal mesophases, which can be tailored for controlled drug release. Further applications of liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers include the preparation of membranes for separation processes, such as wastewater treatment. Furthermore, these materials can be used as ion-conducting membranes for fuel cells or lithium batteries due to their broad types of mesophases. This review aims to provide an overall explanation and classification of liquid crystals and liquid crystal polymers. Furthermore, the great potential of these materials relies on their broad range of applications, which are determined by their unique properties. Moreover, this study provides the latest advances in liquid crystal polymer-based membranes and their applications, focusing especially on fuel cells. Moreover, future directions in the applications of various liquid crystals are highlighted.

The study of cyclic peptides (CPs) and self-assembling cyclic peptide nanotubes (SCPNs) is pivotal in advancing applications in diverse fields such as biomedicine, nanoelectronics, and catalysis. Recognizing the limitations in the experimental study of these molecules, this article introduces CYCLOPEp Builder, a comprehensive web-based application designed to facilitate the design, simulation, and visualization of CPs and SCPNs. The tool is engineered to generate molecular topologies, essential for conducting Molecular Dynamics simulations that span All-Atom to Coarse-Grain resolutions. CYCLOPEp Builder\'s user-friendly interface simplifies the complex process of molecular modeling, providing researchers with the ability to readily construct CPs and SCPNs. The platform is versatile, equipped with various force fields, and capable of producing structures ranging from individual CPs to complex SCPNs with different sequences, offering parallel and antiparallel orientations among them. By enhancing the capacity for detailed visualization of molecular assemblies, CYCLOPEp Builder improves the understanding of CP and SCPN molecular interactions. This tool is a step forward in democratizing access to sophisticated simulations, offering an invaluable resource to the scientific community engaged in the exploration of supramolecular structures. CYCLOPEp is accessible at http://cyclopep.com/.

The study of bacterial immune systems has recently gained momentum, revealing a fascinating trend: many systems form large supramolecular assemblies. Here, we examine the potential mechanisms underpinning the evolutionary success of these structures, draw parallels to eukaryotic immunity, and offer fresh perspectives to stimulate future research into bacterial immunity.

Controlling the self-assembly of nanoparticle building blocks into macroscale soft matter structures is an open question and of fundamental importance to fields as diverse as nanomedicine and next-generation energy storage. Within the vast library of nanoparticles, the fullerenes-a family of quasi-spherical carbon allotropes-are not explored beyond the most common, C60. Herein, a facile one-pot method is demonstrated for functionalizing fullerenes of different sizes (C60, C70, C84, and C90-92), yielding derivatives that self-assemble in aqueous solution into supramolecular hydrogels with distinct hierarchical structures. It is shown that the mechanical properties of these resultant structures vary drastically depending on the starting material. This work opens new avenues in the search for control of macroscale soft matter structures through tuning of nanoscale building blocks.

The article analyzes the role of hydrogen bonds and supramolecular structures in enzyme catalysis and model systems. Hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in many enzymatic reactions. However, scientists have only recently attempted to harness the power of hydrogen bonds in homogeneous catalytic systems. One of the newest directions is associated with attempts to control the properties of catalysts by influencing the \"second coordination sphere\" of metal complexes. The role H-bonding, and the building of stable supramolecular nanostructures due to intermolecular H-bonds, based on catalytic active heteroligand iron (Fe) or nickel (Ni) complexes formed during hydrocarbon oxidations were assessed via the AFM (Atomic-force microscopy) method, which was proposed and applied by authors of this manuscript. Th is article also discusses the roles of hydrogen bonds and supramolecular structures in oxidation reactions catalyzed by heteroligand Ni and Fe complexes, which are not only effective homogeneous catalysts but also structural and functional models of Oxygenases.

Endotoxins or lipopolysaccharides (LPS), found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls, can stimulate the human innate immune system, leading to life-threatening symptoms. Therefore, regulatory limits for endotoxin content apply to injectable pharmaceuticals, and excess LPS must be removed before commercialization. The majority of available endotoxin removal systems are based on the non-specific adsorption of LPS to charged and/or hydrophobic surfaces. Albeit effective to remove endotoxins, the lack of specificity can result in the unwanted loss of essential proteins from the pharmaceutical formulation. In this work, we developed microparticles conjugated to anti-Lipid A antibodies for selective endotoxin removal. Anti-Lipid A particles were characterized using flow cytometry and microscopy techniques. These particles exhibited a depletion capacity > 6 ×103 endotoxin units/mg particles from water, as determined with two independent methods (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate test and nanoparticle tracking analysis). Additionally, we compared these particles with a non-specific endotoxin removal system in a series of formulations of increasing complexity: bovine serum albumin in water < insulin in buffer < birch pollen extracts. We demonstrated that the specific anti-Lipid A particles show a higher protein recovery without compromising their endotoxin removal capacity. Consequently, we believe that the specificity layer integrated by the anti-Lipid A antibody could be advantageous to enhance product yield.

In our current work we have developed a supported 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer with embedded hemoglobin, reconstituted via detergent-mediated method. Microscopic studies revealed that the hemoglobin molecules could be visualized without any labelling agents. The reconstituted proteins assemble themselves as supramolecular structures to adapt to lipid bilayer environment. The nonionic detergent, n-octyl-β-d-glucoside (NOG) used for insertion of hemoglobin played an important role in formation of these structures. When concentrations of lipid, protein and detergent were raised by four folds, we observed phase separation by protein molecules within bilayer via protein-protein assembly. This phase separation process exhibited extremely slow kinetics to form large stable domains with correlation times in the order of minutes. Confocal Z-scanning images showed that these supramolecular structures generated membrane deformities. UV-Vis, Fluorescence and Circular Dichroism (CD) measurement indicated minor structural change to expose the hydrophobic regions of the protein to adjust the hydrophobic stress of the lipid environment whilst Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) results indicated that the hemoglobin molecules retained their overall tetrameric form in the system. In conclusion, we state that this investigation allowed us to closely inspect some rare but noteworthy phenomena like the formation of supramolecular structures, large domain formation and membrane deformation etc.

It has recently been shown that the titer of the SARS-CoV-2 virus decreases in a cell culture when the cell suspension is irradiated with electromagnetic waves at a frequency of 95 GHz. We assumed that a frequency range in the gigahertz and sub-terahertz ranges was one of the key aspects in the \"tuning\" of flickering dipoles in the dispersion interaction process of the surfaces of supramolecular structures. To verify this assumption, the intrinsic thermal radio emission in the gigahertz range of the following nanoparticles was studied: virus-like particles (VLP) of SARS-CoV-2 and rotavirus A, monoclonal antibodies to various RBD epitopes of SARS-CoV-2, interferon-α, antibodies to interferon-γ, humic-fulvic acids, and silver proteinate. At 37 °C or when activated by light with λ = 412 nm, these particles all demonstrated an increased (by two orders of magnitude compared to the background) level of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. The thermal radio emission flux density specifically depended on the type of nanoparticles, their concentration, and the method of their activation. The thermal radio emission flux density was capable of reaching 20 μW/(m2 sr). The thermal radio emission significantly exceeded the background only for nanoparticles with a complex surface shape (nonconvex polyhedra), while the thermal radio emission from spherical nanoparticles (latex spheres, serum albumin, and micelles) did not differ from the background. The spectral range of the emission apparently exceeded the frequencies of the Ka band (above 30 GHz). It was assumed that the complex shape of the nanoparticles contributed to the formation of temporary dipoles which, at a distance of up to 100 nm and due to the formation of an ultrahigh strength field, led to the formation of plasma-like surface regions that acted as emitters in the millimeter range. Such a mechanism makes it possible to explain many phenomena of the biological activity of nanoparticles, including the antibacterial properties of surfaces.

Multicomponent supramolecular systems can be used to achieve different properties and new behaviors compared to their corresponding single component systems. Here, a two-component system is used, showing that a non-gelling component modifies the assembly of the gelling component, allowing access to co-assembled structures that cannot be formed from the gelling component alone. The systems are characterized across multiple length scales, from the molecular level by NMR and CD spectroscopy to the microstructure level by SANS and finally to the material level using nanoindentation and rheology. By exploiting the enhanced mechanical properties achieved through addition of the second component, multicomponent noodles are formed with superior mechanical properties to those formed by the single-component system. Furthermore, the non-gelling component can be triggered to crystallize within the multicomponent noodles, allowing the preparation of new types of hierarchical composite noodles.

Biocompatible luminophores based on organic dyes, which have fluorescence characteristics that are highly sensitive to the properties of the solvating medium, are of particular interest as highly sensitive, selective, and easy-to-use analytical agents. We found that BODIPY dimers (2,2\'-, 2,3\'-3,3\'-CH2-bis(BODIPY) (1-3)) demonstrate fluorescence characteristics with a high sensitivity to the presence of polar solvents. The intense fluorescence of 1-3 in nonpolar/low-polarity solvents is dramatically quenched in polar media (acetone, DMF, and DMSO). It has been established that the main reason for CH2-bis(BODIPY) fluorescence quenching is the specific solvation of dyes by electron-donating molecules (Solv) with the formation of stable supramolecular CH2-bis(BODIPY)·2Solv structures. Using steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and computational modeling, the formation mechanism, composition, and structure of CH2-bis(BODIPY)·2Solv supramolecular complexes have been substantiated, and their stability has been evaluated. The results show the promise of developing fluorescent probes based on CH2-bis(BODIPY)s for detecting toxic N/O-containing compounds in solutions.