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Categories: advanced materials, nanotechnology

BSA 11-18: Bio-programmable Crystallization of Multi-component Functional Nanoparticle Systems

BNL Reference Number: BSA 11-18

Patent Status: Provisional filed on April 13, 2011

Summary

Bottom-up assembly of crystalline structures of oligonucleotide-functionalized nanoparticles is demonstrated. Also described are methods of making and functionalizing hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanoparticles, methods of constructing ordered arrangements of nanoparticles, and ordered metastructures of heterogeneous nanoparticles. The resulting structures can be used for their electrical, magnetic, optical, catalytic, and structural properties.

Description

Assembly in organized structures of DNA functionalized objects has mainly been limited to gold nanoparticles, largely because gold nanoparicles can be easily coated with a dense DNA shell by simply replacing the weak surfactants, used during the synthesis process, by thiolated DNA. For synthesis of nanoparticles with different compositions or with more complex morphologies, other surfactants are routinely used that are known to tightly bind to the surface of the nanoobjects, making further functionalization very difficult. Here a general procedure is described for generating many types of nanoparticles, functionalizing them with DNA, and forming the functionalized nanoparticles into complex structures with long-range three-dimensional order.

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For more information about this technology, contact Kimberley Elcess, (631) 344-4151.