ABSTRACT
Self-assembly is the process during which discrete structures such as molecules spontaneously and often reversibly organize themselves into nanomaterials. The organization of these molecular building blocks is driven by a combination of thermodynamic factors and kinetic factors, many of which can be understood through examining the underlying intermolecular interactions. Surface chemistry plays a vital role in the self-assembly of nanomaterials. The van der Waals interaction is the collective term used to describe attractive or repulsive forces, or noncovalent interactions, between molecules. Hydrogen bonds occur between molecules that have hydrogen covalently bonded to a strongly electronegative atom such as N, O, or F. In such cases, the electron density surrounding the hydrogen atom is mostly drawn toward the more electronegative atom, leaving the hydrogen atom “exposed” with a strong partial positive charge through which it may form a strong dipole–dipole interaction with the electronegative element on an adjacent molecule.
