Directing Assembly of Mesoscale Multi-Shell Morphologies of DNA Origami Crystals

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Nature creates hierarchical materials with precise control over structure and composition.
• Synthetically replicating this hierarchical organization, especially multiscale structures with defined nanoscale arrangements, remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a DNA-based self-assembly strategy for fabricating hierarchical materials with programmable mesoscale morphologies and nanoscale precision.
• To demonstrate control over material structure, composition, and release properties using DNA origami crystals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized DNA origami frames as modular monomers for self-assembly.
• Employed addressable DNA binding motifs to direct anisotropic epitaxial growth and encapsulate nanoparticles (NPs) in specific 3D patterns.
• Controlled shell growth via sequential monomer addition and heterogeneous nucleation.

Main Results:

• Successfully constructed diverse multi-shell mesoscale morphologies (e.g., tube-like, plate-like) from nanoscale lattices.
• Achieved shell-specific NP configurations and compositions through addressable NP placement.
• Demonstrated programmable NP release and modulation of release kinetics by the DNA origami shells.

Conclusions:

• Established a versatile platform for fabricating DNA origami crystals with programmable mesoscale morphologies and nanoscale structural control.
• Showcased the potential for designing materials with tailored composition and controlled release functionalities.
• Highlighted the significance of DNA-based self-assembly for advanced hierarchical material synthesis.