Recent advances in the realization of individual molecular-scale electronic devices emphasize the need for novel tools and concepts capable of assembling such devices into large-scale functional circuits. We demonstrated sequence-specific molecular lithography on substrate DNA molecules by harnessing homologous recombination by RecA protein. In a sequence-specific manner, we patterned the coating of DNA with metal, localized labeled molecular objects and grew metal islands on specific sites along the DNA substrate, and generated molecularly accurate stable DNA junctions for patterning the DNA substrate connectivity. In our molecular lithography, the information encoded in the DNA molecules replaces the masks used in conventional microelectronics, and the RecA protein serves as the resist. The molecular lithography works with high resolution over a broad range of length scales from nanometers to many micrometers.
Individual PbSe nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared by a chemical reaction between lead-cyclohexanebutirate and tri-butyl-phosphine/selenium
precursors in a tri-octyl-phosphine oxide/tri-butyl-phosphine surfactant, at 118 °C. Increasing precursor concentration, accompanied by an
additional heating, up to 150 °C, enabled the formation of NCs assemblies: a reaction time duration of 10−60 min led to the formation of
monodispersed spherical polycrystalline assemblies whose average diameters ranged between 50−500 nm. A reaction time duration of >60
min enabled the formation of an ordered wire-like assembly, with a typical width of 60−150 nm and a length of 1−5 μm. The assemblies are
presumably stabilized by the NCs−NCs dipole−dipole interactions, with an estimated interaction energy of −28 kJ/mol. The electrical measurement
of a single wire-like assembly revealed a conductivity of 7.0 Ω-1cm-1.
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