Issue 38, 2013

Assembling colloidal clusters using crystalline templates and reprogrammable DNA interactions

Abstract

Transient bridges of DNA have been used to direct the self assembly of microscopic spherical particles into a variety of crystal structures. Here, by selectively reprogramming the strength of the DNA interactions within such crystals we form colloidal clusters with well-defined valence and symmetry at high yield. We first form ‘host’ crystals containing a small proportion of ‘impurity’ particles bearing a unique DNA sequence, and then add soluble DNA strands that cause the host crystal to melt while preserving the nearest neighbor bonds around each impurity particle. This yields clusters with cubical and cuboctahedral symmetry from host crystals having BCC and FCC structures, respectively. Annealing of these clusters leads them to transform into lower free energy, but still highly symmetric forms, sometimes accompanied by the ejection of particles. The interactions between such clusters in principle could be further reprogrammed to allow hierarchical assembly processes.

Graphical abstract: Assembling colloidal clusters using crystalline templates and reprogrammable DNA interactions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Apr 2013
Accepted
09 Jul 2013
First published
12 Jul 2013

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 9119-9128

Assembling colloidal clusters using crystalline templates and reprogrammable DNA interactions

J. T. McGinley, I. Jenkins, T. Sinno and J. C. Crocker, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 9119 DOI: 10.1039/C3SM50950H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements