Using silver nanowire antennas to enhance the conversion efficiency of photoresponsive DNA nanomotors

Abstract

Plasmonic near-field coupling can induce the enhancement of photoresponsive processes by metal nanoparticles. Advances in nanostructured metal synthesis and theoretical modeling have kept surface plasmons in the spotlight. Previous efforts have resulted in significant intensity enhancement of organic dyes and quantum dots and increased absorption efficiency of optical materials used in solar cells. Here, we report that silver nanostructures can enhance the conversion efficiency of an interesting type of photosensitive DNA nanomotor through coupling with incorporated azobenzene moieties. Spectral overlap between the azobenzene absorption band and plasmonic resonances of silver nanowires increases light absorption of photon-sensitive DNA motor molecules, leading to 85% close-open conversion efficiency. The experimental results are consistent with our theoretical calculations of the electric field distribution. This enhanced conversion of DNA nanomotors holds promise for the development of new types of molecular nanodevices for light manipulative processes and solar energy harvesting.energy conversion | localized surface plasmon | photo-driven nanomotor P lants harvest solar energy by photosynthesis, in which photosensitive biomolecules absorb energy from sunlight and convert it into chemical energy. Human beings utilize solar energy by fossil fuels, solar thermal systems, and, most frequently nowadays, by photovoltaic systems based on optoelectric materials (1). The design of new synthetic materials coupled with a mechanism to capture, convert, and store photon energy will provide new ways to utilize solar energy (2, 3). However, achieving high conversion efficiency remains a challenge in such energy conversion systems.Recently, DNA has received attention in material sciences, especially for the fabrication of nanomachines able to perform nanoscale movements in response to external stimuli (4-11). Experimental and theoretical studies on single DNA nanomachines have led to the development of new energy conversion strategies (12, 13). As one of the most popular phototransformable molecules, azobenzene and its derivatives can change the overall structure by cis-trans isomerisation mechanism. Using the photoisomerization of azobenzene to photo-regulate DNA hybridization, (14) we have designed a single-molecule light-driven DNA nanomotor (15) for the continuous production of energy in the form of mechanical work. This photon-fueled nanomotor is simple and easy to operate, promising a unique approach to harvest photonic energy. Herein, azobenzene derivatives act as element for energy absorption and DNA molecules movement act for mechanical energy export. As we know, solar thermal technology is a technology to harvest solar thermal energy that converts solar energy to movement of molecules and then produces heat caused by molecule thermal moving. In our design, solar energy is converted to close-open movement of DNA molecules. However, few DNA motor molecules can undergo the close-open conversion as a result of the low p...

Modification of Nucleic Acids by Azobenzene Derivatives and Their Applications in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology

“…They combined silver nanostructures and photo-regulation of DNA hybridization to construct an efficient photosensitive DNA nanomotor. [58] Silver nanoparticles in an oscillating electromagnetic field will lead to field amplification both inside and in the near-field zone outside the particles. The authors claimed that the spectral overlap between azobenzene absorption and plasmonic resonances of silver nanowires increased the close-open conversion efficiency to 85 %.…”

Surface Enhanced Visible Absorption of Dye Molecules in the Near-Field of Gold Nanoparticles

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Photon-Manipulated Drug Release from a Mesoporous Nanocontainer Controlled by Azobenzene-Modified Nucleic Acid

“…Duplex formation between azo-DNA strand and arm-DNA was tested using free DNA strands in solution by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), as reported in our previous works. 25,26 The azo-DNA and arm-DNA were labelled with FAM (fluorophore) and Dabcyl (quencher) respectively as shown below: azo-DNA labelled with FAM: 5’-T- Azo -A-G- Azo -G-T- Azo -A-CCC-CCC-CCC-CCC-T- Azo -A-G- Azo -G-T- Azo -A -FAM-3’ arm-DNA labelled with Dabcyl: 5’-Dabcyl-T-A-C-C-T-A-3’…”