DNA nanostructure-directed assembly of metal nanoparticle superlattices

Abstract

Structural DNA nanotechnology provides unique, well-controlled, versatile, and highly addressable motifs and templates for assembling materials at the nanoscale. These methods to build from the bottom-up using DNA as a construction material are based on programmable and fully predictable Watson-Crick base pairing. Researchers have adopted these techniques to an increasing extent for creating numerous DNA nanostructures for a variety of uses ranging from nanoelectronics to drug-delivery applications. Recently, an increasing effort has been put into attaching nanoparticles (the size range of 1–20 nm) to the accurate DNA motifs and into creating metallic nanostructures (typically 20–100 nm) using designer DNA nanoshapes as molds or stencils. By combining nanoparticles with the superior addressability of DNA-based scaffolds, it is possible to form well-ordered materials with intriguing and completely new optical, plasmonic, electronic, and magnetic properties. This focused review discusses the DNA structure-directed nanoparticle assemblies covering the wide range of different one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems.

DNA origami directed 3D nanoparticle superlattice via electrostatic assembly

“…DNA origami design is nowadays rather user-friendly, 15 and as the programmable DNA origami structures can be produced at reasonable prices, 47 their use in real world applications is becoming more feasible. Our method is straightforward to employ, and in contrast to previously reported DNA origami directed AuNP superlattices, 25 there is no need to functionalize the AuNPs with singlestranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences. The reported method is not limited to the AuNPs or the DNA origami shapes presented in this work.…”

“…22,23 In addition, DNA nanostructures have been used to direct higher-ordered arrangements of DNA-functionalized metal nanoparticles. 24,25 Recently, DNA origami frames have been used to construct also predefined threedimensional (3D) superlattices. [26][27][28] Spatially ordered structures of AuNPs and other metal nanoparticles have unique electronic, magnetic and optical properties, and are therefore of great interest in a variety of applications.…”

Investigation of optical fiber-tip probes for common and ultrafast SERS

“…However, more recently a rich toolbox for the preparation of plasmonic nanostructures resembling the proposed geometry become available based on the self-assembly. So far it has been utilized in techniques including colloidal lithography [49] and DNA origami used for nanoscale control of docking of chemically synthesized metallic nanoparticles [50]. These techniques can be in principle used for direct structuring the optical fiber-tip probes as well as on substrates followed by a transfer of the prepared structures to a fiber tip by template stripping [51].…”

Increasing Complexity in Wireframe DNA Nanostructures

“…Importantly, the research group of Bathe et al has already shown that their designer wireframe DNA origami shapes may have an imminent biomedical application, as they created various precise multivalent arrangements of a clinically-relevant HIV gp120 immunogen on the virus-like DNA particles to systematically probe their impact on B cell triggering in vitro [94]. We strongly believe that all these versatile structures will find uses not only in biological research but also in assembling novel functional materials [95][96][97][98].…”