Layer-Controllable "2.5D" DNA Origami Crystals Synthesized by a Hierarchical Assembly Strategy

The finite periodic arrangement of functional nanomaterials on the two-dimensional scale enables the integration and enhancement of individual properties, making them an important research topic in the field of tuneable nanodevices. Although layer-controllable lattices such as graphene have been successfully synthesized, achieving similar control over colloidal nanoparticles remains a challenge. DNA origami technology has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in programmed nanoparticle assembly. Based on this technology, we proposed a hierarchical assembly strategy to construct a universal DNA origami platform with customized layer properties, which we called 2.5-dimensional (2.5D) DNA origami crystals. Methodologically, this strategy divides the assembly procedure into two steps: 1) array synthesis, and 2) lattice synthesis, which means that the layer properties, including layer number, interlayer distance, and surface morphology, can be flexibly customized based on the independent designs in each step. In practice, these synthesized 2.5D crystals not only pioneer the expansion of the DNA origami crystal library to a wider range of dimensions, but also highlight the technological potential for templating 2.5D colloidal nanomaterial lattices.