Well-defined nanoassemblies using gold nanoparticles bearing specific number of DNA strands

Abstract

The accurate assembly of nanoparticles into specially designed structures is important for the application of nanoparticle-based materials. Here we report the fabrication of well-defined nanoparticle assemblies via the grouping of gold nanoparticles bearing a specific number of short DNA per particle. Furthermore, we explored various conditions that affect the grouping. Our results show that direct linkage of two nanoparticle-bound DNA without the use of linker DNA yields 80% grouping, which is the highest of all conditions tested. Longer hybridization times and buffer conditions with higher ionic strength also increase grouping formation. These results provide key knowledge that controls the hybridization of nanoparticle-bound DNA for achieving well-defined nanoassemblies with high yield. © 2008 American Chemical Society.