Title: Sequential programmable self-assembly: Role of cooperative interactions

Abstract

We propose a general strategy of “sequential programmable self-assembly” that enables a bottom-up design of arbitrary multi-particle architectures on nano- and microscales. We show that a naive realization of this scheme, based on the pairwise additive interactions between particles, has fundamental limitations that lead to a relatively high error rate. This can be overcome by using cooperative interparticle binding. The cooperativity is a well known feature of many biochemical processes, responsible, e.g., for signaling and regulations in living systems. Here we propose to utilize a similar strategy for high precision self-assembly, and show that DNA-mediated interactions provide a convenient platform for its implementation. In particular, we outline a specific design of a DNA-based complex which we call “DNA spider,” that acts as a smart interparticle linker and provides a built-in cooperativity of binding. We demonstrate versatility of the sequential self-assembly based on spider-functionalized particles by designing several mesostructures of increasing complexity and simulating their assembly process. This includes a number of finite and repeating structures, in particular, the so-called tetrahelix and its several derivatives. Due to its generality, this approach allows one to design and successfully self-assemble virtually any structure made of a “GEOMAG” magnetic construction toy, out of nanoparticles.more » According to our results, once the binding cooperativity is strong enough, the sequential self-assembly becomes essentially error-free.« less

Authors:

Jonathan D. Halverson; Tkachenko, Alexei V. ^[1]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Publication Date:

Fri Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 2016

Research Org.:

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:

1255731

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1421159

Report Number(s):

BNL-112267-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606; KC0403020

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC00112704; SC0012704

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Chemical Physics

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 144; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; self assembly; DNA; free energy; bond formation; colloidal systems