Living matter combines complex structures and dissipative processes to achieve dynamic functions that rely on material organization in space and time. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in creating synthetic material systems capable of four such functions–keeping time, powering motion, building structures, and making copies. Chemical oscillators coordinate the temporal activity of material assemblies; molecular motors and active colloids convert chemical energy into mechanical forces and motions; chemical activation of self-assembling components provides temporal control over dissipative structures; information-rich nanomaterials replicate their structures in exponential fashion. These and other dynamic functions cannot be achieved at thermodynamic equilibrium but instead require flows of energy and matter to create and maintain spatiotemporal order. Such systems are captured within the framework of stochastic thermodynamics, which describes the fluctuating thermodynamic quantities of driven systems. Even far from equilibrium, these quantities obey universal relations, which establish fundamental trade-offs between the rate of energy dissipation and performance metrics such as precision, efficiency, and speed. For each function considered, we present a simple kinetic model that offers general insights that inform the design and creation of dissipative material systems capable of dynamic functions. Overall, we aim to bridge experimental efforts in active soft matter and theoretical advances from stochastic thermodynamics to inform future research on material systems inspired by living matter.

生命物质结合了复杂的结构和耗散的过程，以实现依赖于时空上的物质组织的动态功能。在本综述中，我们讨论了在创建具有以下四个功能的合成材料系统方面的最新进展：保持时间，动力，建筑结构和复制。化学振荡器可以协调材料组件的时间活动；分子马达和活性胶体将化学能转化为机械力和运动；自组装组件的化学活化提供了对耗散结构的时间控制；信息丰富的纳米材料以指数方式复制其结构。这些和其他动态功能无法在热力学平衡时实现，而是需要能量和物质流来创建和维持时空顺序。此类系统是在随机热力学框架内捕获的，该框架描述了驱动系统的波动热力学量。这些量甚至远未达到平衡，也遵循普遍关系，这在能量耗散率与性能指标（例如精度，效率和速度）之间建立了基本的权衡。对于所考虑的每个功能，我们都会提供一个简单的动力学模型，该模型可提供一般见解，从而为具有动态功能的耗散材料系统的设计和创建提供参考。全面的，