DNA sequence-dependent morphological evolution of silver nanoparticles and their optical and hybridization properties

A systematic investigation of the effects of different DNA sequences on the morphologies of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) grown from Ag nanocube seeds is reported. The presence of 10-mer oligo-A, -T, and -C directed AgNPs growth from cubic seeds into edge-truncated octahedra of different truncation extents and truncated tetrahedral AgNPs, while AgNPs in the presence of oligo-G remained cubic. The shape and morphological evolution of the nanoparticle growth for each system is investigated using SEM and TEM and correlated with UV-vis absorption kinetic studies. In addition, the roles of oligo-C and oligo-G secondary structures in modulating the morphologies of AgNPs are elucidated, and the morphological evolution for each condition of AgNPs growth is proposed. The shapes were found to be highly dependent on the binding affinity of each of the bases and the DNA secondary structures, favoring the stabilization of the Ag{111} facet. The AgNPs synthesized through this method have morphologies and optical properties that can be varied by using different DNA sequences, while the DNA molecules on these AgNPs are also stable against glutathione. The AgNP functionalization can be realized in a one-step synthesis while retaining the biorecognition ability of the DNA, which allows for programmable assembly.