Issue 34, 2024

Controlling the thermally-driven crystallization of DNA-coated nanoparticles with formamide

Abstract

DNA-coated nanoparticles, also known as programmable atom equivalents (PAEs), facilitate the construction of materials with nanoscopic precision. Thermal annealing plays a pivotal role by controlling DNA hybridization kinetics and thermodynamics, which ensures the formation of intended structures. While various design handles such as particle size, DNA design, and salt concentration influence the stability of the DNA duplexes linking PAEs in a lattice, their influence on the system's melting temperature (Tm) often follows complicated trends that make rational tuning of self-assembly challenging. In this work, the denaturant formamide is used to precisely tune the thermal response of PAEs. Our results reveal a clear and predictable trend in the PAEs’ response to formamide, enabling rational control over the Tm of a diverse set of PAE systems. Unlike adjustments made through alterations to PAE design or solution parameters such as ionic strength, formamide achieves its temperature shift without impacting the kinetics of assembly. As a result, PAEs can be rapidly crystallized at ambient temperatures, producing superlattices with similar quality to PAE crystals assembled through standard protocols that use higher temperatures. This study therefore positions formamide as a useful tool for enhancing the synthesis of complex nanostructures under mild conditions.

Graphical abstract: Controlling the thermally-driven crystallization of DNA-coated nanoparticles with formamide

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Jul 2024
Accepted
04 Aug 2024
First published
07 Aug 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Soft Matter, 2024,20, 6723-6729

Controlling the thermally-driven crystallization of DNA-coated nanoparticles with formamide

T. Hueckel, S. Woo and R. J. Macfarlane, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 6723 DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00854E

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