User experiment at BESSY II: Complex tessellations produce novel and extraordinary metamaterials

Researchers have discovered a reaction path that produces exotic layers with semiregular structures. These kinds of materials are interesting because they frequently possess extraordinary properties. In the process, simple organic molecules are converted to larger units which form the complex, semiregular patterns.

"We have discovered a completely new approach to produce complex materials from simple organic building blocks," summarizes Klappenberger. "This is important for the ability to synthesize materials with specific novel and extreme characteristics. These results also contribute to better understanding the spontaneous appearance (emergence) of complexity in chemical and biological systems."