Molecular self-assembly-the spontaneous formation of molecules into covalently bonded, well-defined, stable structures-is a very important concept in biological systems and has increasingly become a focus of non-biological research. The top 25 papers include comparisons of the chemical and physical properties of self-assembled monolayers reviews of the different types of self-assembly the behavior of self-assembled monolayers on various surfaces, particularly gold electrodes and nanocrystals and the role of self-assembly in various biologically important molecules, such as dendrimers, dynamin, and laminins. Potential applications involving molecular self-assembly include hinged coordination networks and a switchable molecular shuttle.