Issue 3, 2018

Self-assembled DNA nanomaterials with highly programmed structures and functions

Abstract

Long admired as the repository of genetic information, DNA has more recently been exploited as a powerful material for self-assembly. Taking advantage of the specificity and programmability of the Watson–Crick base-pairing principle, DNA is able to form diversiform nanostructures and nanomaterials. More importantly, the assembled DNA nanomaterials can be modulated at nanometer spatial resolution with designable structures and functions. Such nanoscale precision endows DNA nanomaterials with well-defined orientations, spacings, stereo-relationships, and even optimized interactions with biomolecules, contributing to a revolution in the development of materials sophistication. Benefiting from these structural and functional properties, DNA nanomaterials have found a wide range of applications in materials science, analytical science, and biomedicine. Here, we summarize the recent progress in the design and applications of DNA nanomaterials which possess intriguing structures and functions, with a highlight on three kinds of important DNA nanomaterials including DNA tetrahedrons, DNA hydrogels and functional DNA nanomaterials. Finally, some of the current challenges are proposed in the design and applications of DNA nanomaterials, and we also provide our understandings of the prospects of several DNA nanomaterials, aiming to motivate future multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembled DNA nanomaterials with highly programmed structures and functions

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
19 সেপ্টে. 2017
Accepted
18 ডিসে. 2017
First published
18 ডিসে. 2017

Mater. Chem. Front., 2018,2, 423-436

Self-assembled DNA nanomaterials with highly programmed structures and functions

Z. Li, J. Wang, Y. Li, X. Liu and Q. Yuan, Mater. Chem. Front., 2018, 2, 423 DOI: 10.1039/C7QM00434F

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