DNA Organogels Gaining Multifunctions from the Contribution of Molecular Design on Cross-Linker

DNA gels have been receiving considerable attention for their good therapeutic and biomedical potential. However, it remains a great challenge for DNA gels to achieve a good combination of high mechanical performance and stimuli responsiveness. In this work, a molecular designing strategy is developed for fabricating a high-performance DNA gel using long sequenced DNA and a tetraphenylethene-containing surfactant. Comprising different structural motifs, the designed surfactant could serve as a contact point for creating a strong and flexible cross-linking network between DNA molecules through noncovalent interactions. The resulting DNA gel gains an impressive adhesion of 7.58 ± 0.49 MPa, which addresses the top level of high-performance DNA gels. Such a DNA gel shows generous adhesion with various materials and good temperature tolerance. The good biosafety and wound-healing promoting effect would also open its potential use in biological and biomedical areas. Additionally, this DNA gel possesses fluorescence for easy detection, achieving a combination of high mechanical performance and stimuli responsiveness. This work presents a design strategy for gaining robust DNA materials with a combination of different physicochemical properties together.