Controlling the thermally-driven crystallization of DNA-coated nanoparticles with formamide
Name
d4sm00854e.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
1.97 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
aba7a1a83b6ed24f08cf667676e043cf
Author(s)
Hueckel, Theodore
Woo, Seungyeon
Macfarlane, Robert J
Date Issued
August 28, 2024
Journal
Soft Matter
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation
Soft Matter, 2024,20, 6723-6729
Version
Final published version
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.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sm00854e
