Solvent-free Liquid Crystals and Liquids from DNA

As DNA exhibits persistent structures with dimensions that exceed the range of their intermolecular forces, solid-state DNA undergoes thermal degradation at elevated temperatures. Therefore, the realization of solvent-free DNA fluids, including liquid crystals and liquids, still remains a significant challenge. To address this intriguing issue, we demonstrate that combining DNA with suitable cationic surfactants, followed by dehydration, can be a simple generic scheme for producing these solvent-free DNA fluid systems. In the anhydrous smectic liquid crystalline phase, DNA sublayers are intercalated between aliphatic hydrocarbon sublayers. The lengths of the DNA and surfactant are found to be extremely important in tuning the physical properties of the fluids. Stable liquid-crystalline and liquid phases are obtained in the -20 °C to 200 °C temperature range without thermal degradation of the DNA. Thus, a new type of DNA-based soft biomaterial has been achieved, which will promote the study and application of DNA in a much broader context.