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Controlling the thermally-driven crystallization of DNA-coated nanoparticles with formamide
Theodore Hueckel1, Seungyeon Woo1, Robert J Macfarlane1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. rmacfarl@mit.edu.
Soft Matter
|August 14, 2024
Summary
Programmable atom equivalents (PAEs) are DNA-coated nanoparticles for precise material construction. Formamide offers a predictable way to control their assembly temperature, enabling rapid crystallization under mild conditions.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
Background:
- DNA-coated nanoparticles, or programmable atom equivalents (PAEs), enable precise nanostructure assembly.
- Thermal annealing is crucial for controlling DNA hybridization during PAE self-assembly.
- Tuning PAE lattice stability and melting temperature (Tm) is challenging due to complex trends with design variables.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of formamide as a denaturant to precisely control the thermal response of PAEs.
- To establish a predictable method for tuning the melting temperature (Tm) of diverse PAE systems.
- To enable rapid, high-quality PAE crystallization under mild, ambient conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized formamide as a denaturant to systematically alter the thermal response of PAE systems.
- Investigated the impact of formamide concentration on the melting temperature (Tm) of PAE lattices.
- Compared assembly kinetics and superlattice quality using formamide versus traditional thermal annealing.
Main Results:
- Formamide demonstrated a clear and predictable trend in tuning the melting temperature (Tm) of PAEs.
- Formamide allowed for precise control over PAE thermal response without affecting assembly kinetics.
- Rapid crystallization at ambient temperatures yielded superlattices comparable in quality to those formed at higher temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Formamide serves as an effective tool for rational control over PAE self-assembly temperatures.
- This method facilitates the synthesis of complex nanostructures under mild, ambient conditions.
- Formamide enhances the practicality and efficiency of PAE-based material fabrication.
