Resilient three-dimensional ordered architectures assembled from nanoparticles by DNA

Abstract

Rapid developments of DNA-based assembly methods provide versatile capabilities in organizing nanoparticles (NPs) in three-dimensional (3D) organized nanomaterials, which is important for optics, catalysis, mechanics, and beyond. However, the use of these nanomaterials is often limited by the narrow range of conditions in which DNA lattices are stable. We demonstrate here an approach to creating an inorganic, silica-based replica of 3D periodic DNA-NP structures with different lattice symmetries. The created ordered nanomaterials, through the precise 3D mineralization, maintain the spatial topology of connections between NPs by DNA struts and exhibit a controllable degree of the porosity. The formed silicated DNA-NP lattices exhibit excellent resiliency. They are stable when exposed to extreme temperatures (>1000°C), pressures (8 GPa), and harsh radiation conditions and can be processed by the conventional nanolithography methods. The presented approach allows the use of a DNA assembly strategy to create organized nanomaterials for a broad range of operational conditions.

Chemically modified nucleic acids and DNA intercalators as tools for nanoparticle assembly

“…For example, novel inorganic all-inorganic replicas of complex 3D DNA architectures have been developed, endowed with exceptional thermal and mechanical stability. 278,279 While it is difficult to predict where this new exciting interdisciplinary field of research will lead, we foresee that the new materials will possess tuneable collective properties by design that will be useful in many areas of applications such as nanomedicine, sensing, catalysis, energy conversion/storage and optics to name few.…”

Programming Self-Assembled Materials With DNA-Coated Colloids

“…DNA origami, for example, carry more information by having prescribed shape and binding sites and thus have greater programmability in creating 3D structures. The Gang group [91,92], Shih group [93], and Seeman group [94]had already reported interesting results in this direction, though mostly focusing on nanoparticles. A notable example is the use of tetrahedral origami cages to direct spherical gold nanoparticles to form a diamond lattice [95].…”

Programmable and Site‐Specific Patterning on DNA Origami Templates with Heterogeneous Condensation of Silver and Silica

“…Tremendous efforts have been done on this end to arrange gold, silver, quantum dots, silica, and carbon nanotubes with the nanoscale precision down to sub 10 nm. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] However, there is still plenty room to go toward smaller sizes of materials. The other challenge lies on arranging materials with greater diversity in their chemical composition, which is a necessary step toward the bottom-up fabrication of functional nanodevices.…”