Chiral Plasmonic Crystals Self-Assembled by DNA Origami

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Periodic lattices of high refractive index materials exhibit unique optical properties like photonic band gaps and chiral active matter.
• Crystal lattice parameters (unit cell, lattice type, periodicity) are crucial for these properties.
• Self-assembled materials derive lattice properties from the constituent macromolecules or colloidal particles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To leverage DNA origami for precise control over macromolecular assembly and crystal structure.
• To create novel chiral plasmonic metamaterials with tunable optical activity.
• To investigate the assembly of chiral, rhombohedral crystals in 1D, 2D, and 3D using DNA origami.

Main Methods:

• Utilized DNA origami tensegrity triangles as building blocks for crystal assembly.
• Fabricated chiral, rhombohedral lattices in one, two, and three dimensions.
• Modified the DNA lattices with gold nanorods to create plasmonic metamaterials.

Main Results:

• Successfully assembled chiral, rhombohedral crystals using DNA origami tensegrity triangles.
• Demonstrated the conversion of these lattices into chiral plasmonic metamaterials.
• Observed activity in the visible and near-infrared spectral range, confirming chiral activity through experiments and simulations.

Conclusions:

• DNA origami provides precise control for constructing complex chiral photonic and plasmonic materials.
• The developed method enables the creation of tunable chiral metamaterials with potential applications in optics and photonics.
• Experimental and simulated results validate the chiral activity of the gold nanorod-decorated DNA origami lattices.