Self-Healing at the Nanoscale : Mechanisms and Key Concepts of Natural and Artificial Systems

A complete panorama of self-healing strategies, **Self-Healing at the Nanoscale: Mechanisms and Key Concepts of Natural and Artificial Systems** focuses on the development of new nanoscale self-healing systems, from general concepts to physical chemical mechanisms. With a special emphasis on key concepts, strategies, and mechanisms at the atomic, molecular, and nanometric scales, this book is made up of three parts: * __Natural Self-Healing Systems__ covers paradigmatic self-repair systems developed by nature in living organisms * __Artificial Self-Healing Systems__ describes various materials whose structures have been engineered at the micro- or nanoscale to obtain self-repair ability * __Frontiers of Self-Healing Systems__ includes contributions on systems studied in recent years that have shown potential for developing or inspiring new self-healing nanomaterials The development of self-healing systems, especially concerning materials and the nanoscale, is a nascent yet appealing topic for scientists in fields ranging from engineering to biology. **Self-Healing at the Nanoscale** provides a broad view of the concepts, mechanisms, and types of self-healing systems at the nanoscale, forming a guide to the field and inspiring the development of self-healing systems for the future. Contents 7 Foreword 11 Preface 13 Acknowledgments 19 Editors 21 Contributors 23 Chapter 1: Keeping the Green World Alive : The Repair Cycle of Photosystem II 29 Chapter 2: Regeneration of 11-cis-Retinal in the Retinoid Visual Cycle 49 Chapter 3: Biological Repair Mechanisms : A Short Overview 71 Chapter 4: Self-Healing of Gold Nanoparticles during Laser Irradiation : An Embryonic Case of “Systems Nanotechnology” 97 Chapter 5: Self-Healing in Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Structures : Utilizing Thermodynamic Driving Forces 117 Chapter 6: Pursuit of Long-Lasting Oxygen-Evolving Catalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis : Self-Healing Materials and Molecular-Reinforced Structures 143 Chapter 7: Dynamic Self-Assembly of Nanoscale Components for Solar Energy Conversion 167 Chapter 8: Self-Healing Nanocomposites : Role and Activation of Inorganic Moieties and Hybrid Nanophases 189 Chapter 9: Thermoreversibility in Polymeric Systems : Chemical and Physical Aspects 225 Chapter 10: Self-Repairing by Damage-Triggered Smart Containers 275 Chapter 11: Self-Healing Process in Glassy Materials 295 Chapter 12: Basic Principles of Self-Healing in Polymers, Ceramics, Concrete, and Metals 317 Chapter 13: Design of a Repair-and-Go System for Site-Specific Healing at the Nanoscale 339 Chapter 14: Autopoietic Self-Reproduction as a Distinctive Feature of Structural and Dynamic Organization in Microcompartment Systems : From Self-Assembled Micelles to Synthetic Cells 359 Chapter 15: Molecular Motors and Self-Healing at the Neuromuscular Synapse 383 Chapter 16: Fault-Tolerant Approach to the Configuration of Programmable Logic at the Nanoscale 421 Back Cover 473 "Self-healing materials have the ability to repair damage caused by mechanical use over time, similar to how biological systems heal themselves after being wounded. This book presents the general strategy and key concepts of self-healing systems, repairing mechanisms at the nanoscale, and the role of nanostructures in these systems. The text covers natural systems, including both spontaneous healing mechanisms and biological repair mechanisms, as well as artificial systems, including nanostructured and macroscopic systems. It also reviews a series of systems that show potential for building self-healing devices or for inspiring self-healing devices. Discusses natural self-healing processes. Introduces natural and artificial self-healing systems. Presents both experimental and computational methods. Focuses on the mechanisms at the atomic, molecular, and nanometric level"-- Provided by publisher