Nanoarchitectonics for Advanced Materials: Strategy Beyond Nanotechnology

Humankind's curiosity for very small objects (i.e., nanomaterials) existed long before the term “nanotechnology” became so popular. Several pioneering conceptual proposals including those by Richard Feynman and Kim Eric Drexler, accompanied by various technology developments, such as high-resolution microscopes and advanced fabrication techniques, have promoted continuous growth of research activities focusing on nanoscale dimensions. It is true that nanotechnology is important. At least, all materials scientists at the present time claim this. However, we may have some doubts as to whether nanotechnology is really a satisfactory concept for recent developments on functional advanced materials or not. Fabrication of advanced materials may not be done only with simple techniques, such as atomic/molecular manipulation and/or high-resolution microscopy. Constructing functional materials from nanoscale objects is indeed a complicated process. Phenomena on the nanoscale are highly influenced by thermal/statistical fluctuations and mutual interactions between components, and they are not always expected. We cannot simply summarize either independent cause and effect or input and output in nanoscale fabrication. Instead we must harmonize them. This strategy cannot be regarded as a simple technology. A more advanced concept, architectonics, has to be applied. As a novel concept coming next to nanotechnology, nanoarchitectonics has now to be emphasized for facile development of functional systems and advanced materials. The concept of nanoarchitectonics was first proposed by Masakazu Aono at the International Symposium on Nanoarchitectonics in 2000. According to this concept, advanced materials can be designed through the harmonization of atomic/molecular-level control, chemical nanofabrication, self- and field-controlled organization, and theoretical modeling. These working principles can be applicable to all categories of materials, regardless of material types, including inorganic, organic, and biomaterials. This wide applicability of the nanoarchitectonics concept can be seen in the variety of research topics published in this special issue. These research topics can be roughly categorized into: i) nanomaterials and nano-objects (graphitic nanocarbon, clay nanotubes, nanowire heterojunctions, nanomotors, upconverting nanoparticles, colloidal nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles; ii) fundamental chemistry and physics (dynamic functions from atom to macro, mechanoresponsive luminescence, chiral twists and helices, oriented self-assembly, and synthesis in ionic liquids); and iii) biological study and biomedical application (cellulose-rich nanofibers, organelle mimics of soft matter, biomimetic light-harvesting, drug carriers, hemoglobin-based nanoarchitectures, cancer treatment and diagnosis, and nonviral delivery of nucleic acids). In order to establish a milestone step in materials science, we realize a clear paradigm shift from nanotechnology to nanoarchitectonics in the top materials journal, Advanced Materials, with highest quality contributions here realized as a milestone issue, Nanoarchitectonics for Advanced Materials: A Strategy Beyond Nanotechnology. We are most grateful for the invaluable support and professional editing from the whole editorial team of Advanced Materials, in particular Dr. Emily Hu and Dr. Lorna M. Stimson. Katsuhiko Ariga received his Ph.D. degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is currently the Director of the Supermolecules Group and Principal Investigator of the World Premier International (WPI) Research Centre for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). His research is oriented toward supramolecular chemistry, surface science, and functional nanomaterials (Langmuir–Blodgett film, layer-by-layer assembly, self-organized materials, sensing and drug delivery, molecular recognition, mesoporous materials, etc.). He is now trying to combine them into one unified field for world-surprise. Junbai Li obtained his Ph.D. degree in polymer science from Jilin University. He then spent several years carrying out postdoctoral work and a joint research project at the interface department in the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Germany. He is currently a Professor at the Institute of Chemistry in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests involve molecular biomimetics based on molecular assembly, molecular mechanisms, and structure in assembled biological systems, microcapsules, and nanostructured design.