Web Release Date: March 9,
Directed Assembly of Discrete Gold Nanoparticle Groupings Using Branched DNA Scaffolds
Center for New Directions in Organic Synthesis, University of California, Department of Chemistry, Berkeley, California 94720-1460, and E. O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Division of Materials Science, Berkeley, California 94720
Received September 14, 2004
Revised Manuscript Received January 22, 2005
Abstract:
The concept of self-assembled dendrimers is explored for the creation of discrete nanoparticle assemblies. Hybridization of branched DNA trimers and nanoparticle-DNA conjugates results in the synthesis of nanoparticle trimer and tetramer complexes. Multiple tetramer architectures are investigated, utilizing Au-DNA conjugates with varying secondary structural motifs. Hybridization products are analyzed by gel electrophoresis, and discrete bands are observed corresponding to structures with increasing numbers of hybridization events. Samples extracted from each band are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, and statistics compiled from micrographs are used to compare assembly characteristics for each architecture. Asymmetric structures are also produced in which both 5- and 10-nm Au particles are assembled on branched scaffolds.
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