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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles
Published on: May 8, 2015
Molecular recognition and self-assembly special feature: Assembly and organization processes in DNA-directed
Robert J Macfarlane1, Byeongdu Lee, Haley D Hill
1Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3113, USA.
Abstract:
We present an analysis of the key steps involved in the DNA-directed assembly of nanoparticles into crystallites and polycrystalline aggregates. Additionally, the rate of crystal growth as a function of increased DNA linker length, solution temperature, and self-complementary versus non-self-complementary DNA linker strands (1- versus 2-component systems) has been studied. The data show that the crystals grow via a 3-step process: an initial "random binding" phase resulting in disordered DNA-AuNP aggregates, followed by localized reorganization and subsequent growth of crystalline domain size, where the resulting crystals are well-ordered at all subsequent stages of growth.
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