Stabilization of colloidal crystals engineered with DNA

Abstract

A postsynthetic method for stabilizing colloidal crystals programmed from DNA is developed. The method relies on Ag+ ions to stabilize the particle-connecting DNA duplexes within the crystal lattice, essentially transforming them from loosely bound structures to ones with very strong interparticle links. Such crystals do not dissociate as a function of temperature like normal DNA or DNA-interconnected superlattices, and they can be moved from water to organic media or the solid state, and stay intact. The Ag+-stabilization of the DNA bonds is accompanied by a nondestructive approximate to 25% contraction of the lattice, and both the stabilization and contraction are reversible with the chemical extraction of the Ag+ ions, by AgCl precipitation with NaCl. This synthetic tool is important, since it allows scientists and engineers to study such crystals in environments that are incompatible with structures made by conventional DNA programmable methods and without the influence of a matrix such as silica.