title: Dynamics and statics of DNA-programmable nanoparticle self-assembly and crystallization.
abstract: DNA linker mediated self-assembly is emerging as a very general strategy for designing new materials. In this Letter, we characterize both the dynamics and thermodynamics of nanoparticle-DNA self-assembly by molecular dynamics simulations from a new coarse-grained model. We establish the general phase diagram and discuss the stability of a previously overlooked crystalline phase (D-bcc). We also characterize universal properties about the dynamics of crystallization. We point out the connection to f-star polymer systems and discuss the implications for ongoing experiments as well as for the general field of DNA mediated self-assembly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy and Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knorowski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burleigh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Travesset
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D006046:Gold