Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Stable DNA Motifs, 1D and 2D Nanostructures Constructed from Small Circular DNA Molecules
Published on: April 12, 2019
Fascinating interlocked triacontanuclear giant nanocages
Sukhen Bala1,2, Sohel Akhtar1, Jun-Liang Liu2
1School of Chemical Science Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700032, West Bengal, India. icrm@iacs.res.in.
Researchers created three stable giant nanocages using a node and spacer method. This breakthrough provides detailed molecular-level structural insights into nanomaterials.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Nanomaterials Science
Background:
- Developing stable, well-defined supramolecular structures is crucial for advanced materials.
- Understanding the precise architecture of nanomaterials at the molecular level remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the synthesis of novel interlocked giant nanocages.
- To characterize the stability and structural properties of these nanocages.
- To demonstrate a method for obtaining detailed molecular-level structural information of nanomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a node and spacer concept for cage construction.
- Employed crystallographic analysis to determine cage structures.
- Corroborated structural data using microscopic imaging techniques.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized three distinct air, thermal, and solvent-stable interlocked triacontanuclear giant nanocages.
- Confirmed that the cage structures possess nano-dimensional characteristics.
- Integrated crystallographic and microscopic data for comprehensive structural elucidation.
Conclusions:
- The node and spacer approach is effective for creating complex, stable giant nanocages.
- The synthesized nanocages offer valuable molecular-level structural insights.
- This work advances the field of nanomaterials by providing unprecedented structural detail.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order...
Nuclear Protein Sorting
Proteins targeted to the nucleus carry nuclear localization signals or NLS recognized by import receptors in the cytosol. Similarly, proteins with nuclear export signals are recognized by export receptors. Import and export receptors are...
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Additional Subnuclear Structures
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles,...
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Tight Junctions

