Researchers construct molecular nanofibers that are stronger than steel

MIT News  January 25, 2021 Small-molecule self-assembly is an established route for producing high-surface-area nanostructures with readily customizable chemistries and precise molecular organization. The whole structure falls apart when you remove water, particularly when any kind of external force is applied. An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Argonne National Laboratory, France) has shown that a small-molecule platform, the aramid amphiphile overcomes these dynamic instabilities by incorporating a Kevlar-inspired domain into the molecular structure. Strong, anisotropic interactions between aramid amphiphiles suppress molecular exchange and elicit spontaneous self-assembly in water to form nanoribbons with lengths of up to 20 micrometres. […]