Self-Organization at the Nanoscale Scale in Far-From-Equilibrium Surface Reactions and Copolymerizations

TL;DR

This paper reviews theoretical advances in understanding nanoscale self-organization in reactive systems and copolymerizations, emphasizing nonequilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics insights into dynamical order.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical progress connecting nanoscale self-organization with nonequilibrium thermodynamics and experimental observations.

Findings

Nanosystems can develop directionality under nonequilibrium conditions.

Self-organization phenomena are explained through advances in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

The review highlights the role of field emission microscopy in observing nanoscale processes.

Abstract

An overview is given of theoretical progress on self-organization at the nanoscale in reactive systems of heterogeneous catalysis observed by field emission microscopy techniques and at the molecular scale in copolymerization processes. The results are presented in the perspective of recent advances in nonequilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, allowing us to understand how nanosystems driven away from equilibrium can manifest directionality and dynamical order.