Hybrid material of structural DNA with inorganic compound: synthesis, applications, and perspective

Abstract

Owing to its precise manipulation in nanoscale, DNA as a genetic code becomes a promising and generic material in lots of nanotechnological outstanding exploitations. The nanoscale assembly of nucleic acids in aqueous solution has showed very remarkable capability that is not achievable from any other material resources. In the meantime, their striking role played by effective intracellular interactions have been identified, making these more attractive for a variety of biological applications. Lately, a number of interesting attempts have been made to augment their marvelous diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, as being integrated with inorganic compounds involving gold, iron oxide, quantum dot, upconversion, etc. It was profoundly studied how structural DNA-inorganic hybrid materials have complemented with each other in a synergistic way for better-graded biological performances. Such hybrid materials consisting of both structural DNAs and inorganics are gradually receiving much attention as a practical and future-oriented material substitute. However, any special review articles highlighting the significant and innovative materials have yet to be published. At the first time, we here demonstrate novel hybrid complexes made of structural DNAs and inorganics for some practical applications.

Keywords: Disease treatment and diagnosis; Hybrid nanomaterial; Inorganic compound; Structural DNA nanotechnology.

Fig. 1

A representative scheme about the hybrid materials of structural DNA nanotechnology and inorganic compounds. The potential of hybrid complexes is more increasing in several practical applications including some biomedical issues of disease diagnosis and treatments. Their characteristic features have been complemented in a synergistic way. In this review, we introduce the up-to-date developments of the hybrid nanomaterials for some practical applications highlighted most recently

Fig. 2

a Basic building blocks of structural DNA nanomaterials. Junctional motif, which is formed by a selective complementary hybridization, serves as a basic building block of structural DNA nanomaterials. b Representative examples of DNA origami technology. Reproduced with permission [8]. DNA origami structures have been designed with the help of computer programs (Reproduced with permission [14])

Fig. 3

a Alignment of gold nanoparticles using a variety of DNA nanostructures. Branched DNA nanomaterials [44], DNA tiles [45], and DNA tubes [46] were used for the ordered alignment. Reproduced with permission. b Targeted delivery of gold nanorods using triangular DNA origami. Targeted delivery has enabled an optoacoustic imaging and a photothermal therapy. Reproduced with permission [48]. c Growth of gold nanomaterials guided by structural DNA nanomaterials (Reproduced with permission [49])

Fig. 4

a Guided alignment of iron oxide nanoparticles on DNA nanotubes. Iron oxide nanoparticles were attached on the surface of DNA nanotube using a biotin–streptavidin binding chemistry. Reproduced with permission [52]. b Iron oxide nanoparticle-loaded DNA nanobot. DNA nanobots have recognized external magnetic fields in the used insects, then producing an in vivo cell effect (Reproduced with permission [53])

Fig. 5

Precise positioning of both gold nanoparticles and QDs, once being templated with DNA origami. Improved optical properties, including a colorimetric and fluorescence quantification and lifetime, were controlled by the relative distance and location of gold nanoparticles and quantum dots (Reproduced with permission [57])

Fig. 6

DNA pyramid structures including gold nanoparticles and upconversion nanoparticles. The DNA pyramid disintegrates its original structures upon binding specially to intracellular miRNAs, thus restoring suppressed optical properties of the upconversion nanoparticles involved in the system (Reproduced with permission [58])

Fig. 7

Guided alignment of carbon nanotubes using a Y-shaped DNA nanomaterial. Selective binding of carbon nanotubes was made possible with poly(G) sequences wrapping the nanotubes. A network of carbon nanotubes was formed with repetitive Y-shaped DNA nanomaterials (Reproduced with permission [60])