Enzymatic control of intermolecular interactions for generating synthetic nanoarchitectures in cellular environment

Nanoarchitectonics, as a technology to arrange nano-sized structural units such as molecules in a desired configuration, requires nano-organization, which usually relies on intermolecular interactions. This review briefly introduces the development of using enzymatic reactions to control intermolecular interactions for generating artificial nanoarchitectures in a cellular environment. We begin the discussion with the early examples and uniqueness of enzymatically controlled self-assembly. Then, we describe examples of generating intracellular nanostructures and their relevant applications. Subsequently, we discuss cases of forming nanostructures on the cell surface via enzymatic reactions. Following that, we highlight the use of enzymatic reactions for creating intercellular nanostructures. Finally, we provide a summary and outlook on the promises and future direction of this strategy. Our aim is to give an updated introduction to the use of enzymatic reaction in regulating intermolecular interactions, a phenomenon ubiquitous in biology but relatively less explored by chemists and materials scientists. Our goal is to stimulate new developments in this simple and versatile approach for addressing societal needs.