Design principles for non-equilibrium self-assembly

TL;DR

This paper derives design principles for controlling non-equilibrium self-assembly processes using stochastic thermodynamics, revealing how non-equilibrium conditions alter assembly landscapes and structure formation.

Contribution

It introduces a formal framework that constrains achievable structures in non-equilibrium self-assembly, advancing understanding of far-from-equilibrium design.

Findings

Design principles derived for non-equilibrium self-assembly

Insights into how non-equilibrium drives modify assembly landscapes

Constraints on structures achievable under non-equilibrium conditions

Abstract

We consider an important class of self-assembly problems and using the formalism of stochastic thermodynamics, we derive a set of design principles for growing controlled assemblies far from equilibrium. The design principles constrain the set of structures that can be obtained under non-equilibrium conditions. Our central result provides intuition for how equilibrium self-assembly landscapes are modified under finite non-equilibrium drive.