DNA Nanotechnology-Enabled Fabrication of Metal Nanomorphology

Abstract

In recent decades, DNA nanotechnology has grown into a highly innovative and widely established field. DNA nanostructures have extraordinary structural programmability and can accurately organize nanoscale materials, especially in guiding the synthesis of metal nanomaterials, which have unique advantages in controlling the growth morphology of metal nanomaterials. This review started with the evolution in DNA nanotechnology and the types of DNA nanostructures. Next, a DNA-based nanofabrication technology, DNA metallization, was introduced. In this section, we systematically summarized the DNA-oriented synthesis of metal nanostructures with different morphologies and structures. Furthermore, the applications of metal nanostructures constructed from DNA templates in various fields including electronics, catalysis, sensing, and bioimaging were figured out. Finally, the development prospects and challenges of metal nanostructures formed under the morphology control by DNA nanotechnology were discussed.

Figure 1

DNA nanostructures. (a) Holliday junction. (b) 3HB tiles arranged into 1D filaments. Reprinted with permission from ref. [10]. (c) 2D DNA origami structures. Reprinted with permission from ref. [19]. (d) DNA origami as building block to construct honeycomb 2D lattices. Reprinted with permission from ref. [21]. (e) DNA cube (each color corresponds to one of ten DNA strands). (f) DNA tiles self-assembly into complex nanocages. Reprinted with permission from ref. [27]. (g) 3D DNA origami structures. Reprinted with permission from ref. [32]. (h) 3D DNA origami lattices. Reprinted with permission from ref. [45].

Figure 2

DNA-mediated synthesis of metal nanoparticles. (a) i-motif DNA as templates for subnano-Pd clusters synthesized. Reprinted with permission from ref. [57]. (b) DNA nanoribbons as templates for ultrasmall copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) synthesis and assembly. Reprinted with permission from ref. [12]. (c) DNA sequences regulate gold nanoparticle morphological evolution. Reprinted with permission from ref. [62]. (d) dsDNA-directed the growth of gold nanocrystals. Reprinted with permission from ref. [66].

Figure 3

Metallic nanowires on DNA templates. (a) Synthesis of continuous DNA nanowires using thiol-tagged DNA-binding peptide (KWKWKKA-SH, DBP-SH). Reprinted with permission from ref. [70]. (b) The transformation process of dsDNA to E-DNA. Reprinted with permission from ref. [71]. (c) Preparation of DNA origami-templated gold nanowires and the process of polymer-constrained annealing. Reprinted with permission from ref. [76]. (d) The metallization of divalent DNA-nanoparticle conjugates for fabricate SEDs. Reprinted with permission from ref. [78].

Figure 4

DNA nanostructures as templates to regulate metal nanopattern. (a) DNA origami structures preseeded by electrostatic interactions serve as templates for nonselective metallization. Reprinted with permission from ref. [80]. (b) Ag preseeding on aldehyde group-modified DNA origami structures as templates for nonselective metallization. Reprinted with permission from ref. [81]. (c) AGLO strategy to construct a predesigned gold nanostructure. Reprinted with permission from ref. [89]. (d) Thiol groups arranged DNA origami for precise organization of metal and metal oxide nanoclusters. Reprinted with permission from ref. [95]. (e) DCIMP strategy for selective metallization. Reprinted with permission from ref. [97].

Figure 5

DNA molds for regulation of metal structure construction. (a) DNA molds constrain the growth of gold nanostructures. Reprinted with permission from ref. [35]. (b) DNA mold bricks assembled line structures for prepare conductive gold nanowires. Reprinted with permission from ref. [40]. (c) The assembly of DNA mode and semiconductor nanorods (SC NRs), and molds regulate metal growth. Reprinted with permission from ref. [39]. (d) DNA origami mold superstructures for complex metal nanostructures synthesis. Reprinted with permission from ref. [36].

Figure 6

DNA as mask for nanolithography. (a) Process of DNA molecular lithography. Reprinted with permission from ref. [99]. (b) Metallic structures preparation based on DNA origami nanoshape silhouettes on silicon substrates. Reprinted with permission from ref. [100]. (c) DNA templates precisely control metal nanowire fabrication via microcontact printing. Reprinted with permission from ref. [103].