Abstract
Design and synthesis of physically (non-covalently) cross-linked nanoparticles through host-guest interaction between β-CD and adamantane is reported. Specific molecular recognition between β-CD functionalized branched DNA nanostructures (host) and a star-shaped adamantyl-terminated 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) polymer (guest) is explored for the design of the nanoparticles. The most remarkable structural features of DNA nanoparticles include their excellent biocompatibility and the possibility of various non-covalent interactions with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic molecules. Potential of DNA nanoparticles for the rapid and efficient capture of various micropollutants typically present in water including carcinogens (hydrophobic micropollutants), organic dyes (hydrophilic), and pharmaceutical molecules (hydrophilic) is also demonstrated. The capture of micropollutants by DNA nanoparticles is attributed to the various non-covalent interactions between DNA nanoparticles and the micropollutants. Our results clearly suggest that DNA based nanomaterials would be an ideal candidate for the capturing and removal of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic micropollutants typically present in water.
Highlights
One of the major threats to human health is the occurrence of organic micropollutants such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals etc. in drinking water, and their detection, capture, and removal from drinking water is extremely vital (Schwarzenbach et al, 2006)
Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analyses clearly show that the sequential addition of complementary DNAs leads to the formation of host β-CD-tethered Y-shaped DNA (Y-DNA) as it is evident from the reduced electrophoretic mobility of the resultant DNA nanostructure compared with the corresponding individual complementary DNA strands
Further reduction in the electrophoretic mobility was observed with the addition of Ad-8 to Y-DNA, which clearly reveals that the self-assembly between Ad-8 and Y-DNA through host-guest interaction between β-CD and adamantane resulted in the formation of nanoaggregates for Ad-8/Y-DNA supramolecular complex
Summary
One of the major threats to human health is the occurrence of organic micropollutants such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (carcinogens), pharmaceuticals etc. in drinking water, and their detection, capture, and removal from drinking water is extremely vital (Schwarzenbach et al, 2006). The remarkable structural features of DNA including the excellent biocompatibility, efficient non-covalent interactions with hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules and non-toxicity indisputably suggest that DNA based nanomaterials would be a promising candidate for the capture of organic micropollutants from water. Self-assembly of Y-DNA with Ad-8 through multivalent host–guest interactions between β-CD and adamantane to Y-DNA/Ad-8 nanoparticle and the capture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic micropollutants by DNA nanogel are shown. We report the potential of DNA-based nanogel for the capture of organic micropollutants, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic, from water (Scheme 1). The design of nanogel was already reported by us, and the same strategy was followed for the synthesis of DNA nanogel This was achieved by self-assembly between multivalent host–guest interaction between β-CD functionalized branched DNA nanostructures as the host and a star-shaped adamantylterminated 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer as the guest. Our results clearly show that the DNA based nanogels are promising nanomaterials for the capture of micropollutants
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