From Molecules to Materials: Current Trends and Future Directions** By A. Paul Alivisatos, Paul F. Barbara, A. Welford Castleman, Jack Chang, David A. Dixon, Michael L. Klein, George L. McLendon, Joel S. Miller, Mark A. Ratner, Peter J. Rossky,* Samuel I. Stupp, and Mark E. Thompson The development, characterization, and exploitation of novel materials based on the assembly of molecular components is an exceptionally active and rapidly expanding field. For this reason, the topic of molecule-based materials (MBMs) was chosen as the subject of a workshop sponsored by the Chemical Sciences Division of the United States Department of Energy. The purpose of the workshop was to review and discuss the diverse research trajectories in the field from a chemical perspective, and to focus on the critical elements that are likely to be essential for rapid progress. The MBMs discussed encompass a diverse set of compositions and structures, including clusters, supramolecular assemblies, and assemblies incorporating biomolecule-based components. A full range of potentially interesting materials properties, including electronic, magnetic, optical, structural, mechanical, and chemical characteristics were considered. Key themes of the workshop included synthesis of novel components, structural control, characterization of structure and properties, and the development of underlying principles and models. MBMs, defined as ªuseful substances prepared from molecules or molecular ions that maintain aspects of the parent molecular frameworkº are of special significance because of the capacity for diversity in composition, structure, and properties, both chemical and physical. Key attributes are the ability in MBMs to access the additional dimension of multiple length scales and available structural complexity via organic chemistry synthetic methodologies and the innovative assembly of such diverse components. The interaction among the assembled components can thus lead to unique behavior. A consequence of the complexity is the need for a multiplicity of both existing and new tools for materials synthesis, assembly, characterization, and Adv. Mater. 1998, 10, No. 16 Ó WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, D-69469 Weinheim, 1998 0935-9648/98/1611-1297 $ 17.50+.50/0 1297 ± [*] Prof. P. J. Rossky Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 78712-1167 (USA) Prof. A. P. Alivisatos Department of Chemistry University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720 (USA) Prof. P. F. Barbara Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota 207 Pleasant St. SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 (USA) Prof.A. W. Castleman Department of Chemistry, 152 Davey Laboratory Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 (USA) Dr. J. Chang Eastman Kodak Company Bldg. 83, Floor 7 Rochester, NY 14650-2210 (USA) Dr. D. A. Dixon Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory Pacific Northwest National Laboratory PO Box 999, K1-83, Richland, WA 99352 (USA) Prof. M. L. Klein Department of Chemistry University of Pennsylvania 231 South 34th St. Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323 (USA) Prof. G. L. McLendon Department of Chemistry Princeton University, 121 Frick Laboratory Washington Rd and William St. Princeton, NJ 08544-1009 (USA) Prof. J. S. Miller Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 E. RM Dock Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0850 (USA) Prof. M. A. Ratner Department of Chemistry Northwestern University 2145 Sheridan Rd Evanston, IL 60208-3113 (USA) Prof. S. I. Stupp Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1304 W. Green St, Urbana, IL 61801 (USA) Prof. M. E. Thompson Department of Chemistry University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089 (USA) [**] Report of the Workshop ªFrom Molecules to Materialsº, held April 30± May 2, 1997 in Austin, Texas, sponsored by the Council on Chemical Sciences of the United States Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences; Peter J. Rossky, Organizer and Chairman. We thank the Council on Chemical Sciences of the United States Department of Energy for initiating the formation of this workshop, and the Department of Energy for its sponsorship. We particularly thank Mary Gress, of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, and Marye Anne Fox, on behalf of the Council, for their assistance and encouragement in the organization of the workshop and the preparation of this report. We are also grateful for the scientific input to the workshop provided by C. Grant Willson. In addition, the authors are indebted to the agencies responsible for funding of their individual research efforts, without which much of the progress discussed here could not have been made.