Self-Assembling Nanocomposite Tectons

Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.