Dynamically Reconfigurable DNA Origami Crystals Driven by a Designated Path Diagram.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomolecular Engineering

Background:

• Adaptive materials with switchable crystal structures offer dynamic control over properties for applications in optics, biology, and catalysis.
• Developing multi-phase-transition switchable crystals by integrating diverse responsive behaviors into single lattices is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct dynamically reconfigurable DNA origami crystals with orthogonally integrated dynamic effectors.
• To independently manipulate and combine effector behaviors in different dimensions for controlled phase transitions.
• To establish a foundation for artificially constructing biomimetic functional crystals.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of octahedral DNA origami frames with integrated dynamic effectors in prescribed dimensions.
• Independent manipulation and logical combination of effector behaviors across different lattice dimensions.
• Development of a color-based visualization strategy for detecting phase transitions via fluorescence microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully built reconfigurable DNA origami crystals with multiple, orthogonally integrated dynamic effectors.
• Demonstrated independent control and logical combination of dynamic behaviors in different dimensions.
• Established a phase transition path diagram connecting an initial mother phase to three daughter phases via six elementary paths.
• Created superimposed and finer manipulated transition routes with additional phase stations.
• Developed a color-based visualization strategy correlating lattice symmetry changes with macroscopic color shifts.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel method for constructing multi-phase-transition DNA origami crystals.
• The developed strategy allows for precise, programmable control over crystal structures and their properties.
• The color-based visualization strategy facilitates convenient detection of microscopic phase transitions, paving the way for biomimetic functional crystal design.