title: DNA nanotubes self-assembled from triple-crossover tiles as templates for conductive nanowires.
abstract: DNA-based nanotechnology is currently being developed as a general assembly method for nanopatterned materials that may find use in electronics, sensors, medicine, and many other fields. Here we present results on the construction and characterization of DNA nanotubes, a self-assembling superstructure composed of DNA tiles. Triple-crossover tiles modified with thiol-containing double-stranded DNA stems projected out of the tile plane were used as the basic building blocks. Triple-crossover nanotubes display a constant diameter of approximately 25 nm and have been observed with lengths up to 20 microm. We present high-resolution images of the constructs, experimental evidence of their tube-like nature as well as data on metallization of the nanotubes to form nanowires, and electrical conductivity measurements through the nanowires. DNA nanotubes represent a potential breakthrough in the self-assembly of nanometer-scale circuits for electronics layout because they can be targeted to connect at specific locations on larger-scale structures and can subsequently be metallized to form nanometer-scale wires. The dimensions of these nanotubes are also perfectly suited for applications involving interconnection of molecular-scale devices with macroscale components fabricated by conventional photolithographic methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Dage
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sung Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: LaBean
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008670:Metals; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D036103:Nanotechnology; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D004247:DNA