Self-replicating nanomaterials as a new generation of smart nanostructures

Self-replication is the process by which a system or entity autonomously reproduces or generates copies of itself, transmitting hereditary information through its molecular structure. Self-replication can be attractive for various researchers, ranging from biologists focused on uncovering the origin of life, to synthetic chemists and nanotechnologists studying synthetic machines and nanorobots. The capability of a single structure to act as a template to produce multiple copies of itself could allow the bottom-up engineering of progressively complex reaction networks and nanoarchitectures from simple building blocks. Herein, we review nucleic acid-based and amino acid-based self-replicating systems and completely synthetic artificial systems and specially focused on specific aspects of self-replicating nanomaterials. We describe their mechanisms of action and provide a full discussion of the principal requirements for achieving nanostructures capable of self-replication.