There are a variety of accepted definitions of self-assembly in the literature (e.g., Pelesko, 2007; Whitesides, 2002). Some definitions are fairly vague while others are more specific, providing exhaustive lists of necessary, and sometimes conflicting, characteristics of self-assembly. We asked self-assembly researchers (N=323) to respond to five published definitions of self-assembly. Analysis of researchers' responses revealed a lack of consensus within the field as to what defines self-assembly. In this presentation, we will discuss the variety of characteristics used by researchers to align themselves with or dispute the published definitions of self-assembly.

Researchers' perceptions of self-assembly: Reactions to published definitions of “self-assembly”

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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