Design and optical trapping of a biocompatible propeller-like nanoscale hybrid

Designing nanoscale objects with the potential to perform externally controlled motion in biological environments is one of the most sought-after objectives in nanotechnology. Different types of chemically and physically powered motors have been prepared at the macro- and microscale. However, the preparation of nanoscale objects with a complex morphology, and the potential for light-driven motion has remained elusive to date. Here, we go a step forward by designing a nanoscale hybrid with a propeller-resembling shape, which can be controlled by focused light under biological conditions. Our hybrid, hereafter "Au@DNA-origami", consists of a spherical gold nanoparticle with self-assembled, biocompatible, two-dimensional (2D) DNA sheets on its surface. As a first step toward the potential utilization of these nanoscale objects as light-driven assemblies in biological environments, we show that they can be optically trapped, and hence translated and deposited on-demand, and that under realistic trapping conditions the thermally induced dehybridization of the DNA sheets can be avoided.