Crystallization of amphiphilic DNA C-Stars

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b00980

Authors: Ryan A. Brady (University of Cambridge) , Nicholas J. Brooks (Imperial College London) , Pietro Cicuta (University of Cambridge) , Lorenzo Di Michele (University of Cambridge)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nano Letters

State: Published (Approved)
Published: April 2017
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 14217 , 15030 , 15530

Abstract: Many emerging technologies require materials with well-defined 3D nanoscale architectures. Production of these structures is currently underpinned by self-assembling amphiphilic macromolecules or engineered all-DNA building blocks. Both these approaches produce restricted ranges of crystal geometries due to synthetic amphiphiles’ simple shape and limited specificity, or the technical difficulties in designing space-filling DNA motifs with targeted shapes. We have overcome these limitations with amphiphilic DNA-nanostructures, or “C-Stars”, that combine the design freedom and facile functionalization of DNA-based materials with robust hydrophobic interactions. C-Stars self-assemble into single crystals exceeding 40 μm in size with lattice parameters exceeding 20 nm.

Journal Keywords: DNA Crystallization; Hydrophobic Interactions; Amphiphilic Molecules; Self-Assembly; Single Crystals; DNA-Nanotechnology

Subject Areas: Chemistry, Materials, Biology and Bio-materials


Instruments: I22-Small angle scattering & Diffraction

Added On: 18/04/2017 19:51

Discipline Tags:

Biomaterials Biochemistry Chemistry Materials Science Nanoscience/Nanotechnology Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Scattering Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS)