Abstract
In this paper, we report a novel surface-tethered DNA nanodevice that may present three states and undergo conformational changes under the operation of pH. Besides, convenient regulation on the electrode surface renders the construction and operation of this DNA nanodevice restorable. To make full use of this DNA nanodevice, ferrocene (Fc) has been further employed for the fabrication of the molecular device. On one hand, the state switches of the DNA nanodevice can be characterized conveniently and reliably by the obtained electrochemical signals from Fc. On the other hand, β-cyclodextrin-ferrocene (β-CD-Fc) host-guest system can be introduced by Fc, which functionalizes this molecular device. Based on different electrochemical behaviors of β-CD under different states, this DNA nanodevice can actualize directional loading, transporting and unloading of β-CD in nanoscale. Therefore, this DNA nanodevice bares promising applications in controllable molecular transport and release, which are of great value to molecular device design.
Highlights
In the preceding decades, many molecule devices with excellent structures and functions were fabricated[1,2,3,4]
Functional DNA nanodevices still lack in variety, some ingenious DNA nanodevices have been reported for the applications to molecular detection[23], multistep synthesis[24], programmable assembly[25] and protein binding affinity regulation[26]
Since the DNA nanodevice is constructed on an electrode surface, reversibility and reparability of this device can be achieved and each step of the DNA nanodevice operation can be observed via the obtained electrochemical signals
Summary
Surface-tethered DNA nanodevice received: 05 March 2016 accepted: 01 June 2016 Published: 07 July 2016. The state switches of the DNA nanodevice can be characterized conveniently and reliably by the obtained electrochemical signals from Fc. On the other hand, β-cyclodextrin-ferrocene (β-CD-Fc) host-guest system can be introduced by Fc, which functionalizes this molecular device. Based on different electrochemical behaviors of β-CD under different states, this DNA nanodevice can actualize directional loading, transporting and unloading of β-CD in nanoscale. This DNA nanodevice bares promising applications in controllable molecular transport and release, which are of great value to molecular device design. A novel DNA nanodevice has been built, and this device can present actual function of loading, transporting and unloading molecules under the control of pH and electrochemical treatment
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