Changing polymers with self assemblers

Synthetic analogs of proteins which have distinct shapes and chemical maps on their surfaces are possible with supramolecular programming of monomeric self assemblers to form clusters. These protein mimics could remain supramolecular or be converted into covalent structures through nanoscopic polymerization that do not interconnect them. Another means to modify polymers with self assemblers is to view them as scaffolds or chaperones that mediate the conformations of linear chains. This offers an avenue to the formation of novel materials as a result of short range interaction between the self assembled structures and polymeric matrices.