title: Hierarchical assembly of metal nanoparticles, quantum dots and organic dyes using DNA origami scaffolds.
abstract: The self-assembly of nanoscale elements into three-dimensional structures with precise shapes and sizes is important in fields such as nanophotonics, metamaterials and biotechnology. Short molecular linkers have previously been used to create assemblies of nanoparticles, but the approach is limited to small interparticle distances, typically less than 10 nm. Alternatively, DNA origami can precisely organize nanoscale objects over much larger length scales. Here we show that rigid DNA origami scaffolds can be used to assemble metal nanoparticles, quantum dots and organic dyes into hierarchical nanoclusters that have a planet-satellite-type structure. The nanoclusters have a tunable stoichiometry, defined distances of 5-200 nm between components, and controllable overall sizes of up to 500 nm. We also show that the nanoscale components can be positioned along the radial DNA spacers of the nanostructures, which allows short- and long-range interactions between nanoparticles and dyes to be studied in solution. The approach could, in the future, be used to construct efficient energy funnels, complex plasmonic architectures, and porous, nanoengineered scaffolds for catalysis.
authors.affiliation: 1] Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany [2].
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.affiliation: 1] Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 Munich, Germany [2].
authors.forename: Jaekwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Do
authors.affiliation: Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Roller
authors.affiliation: Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Schüller
authors.affiliation: Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Nickels
authors.affiliation: Photonics and Optoelectronics Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.affiliation: Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanoengineering Group, Physics Department and CeNS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liedl
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D045663:Quantum Dots
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA