Optoelectrical characteristics of individual zinc oxide nanorods grown by DNA directed assembly on vertically aligned carbon nanotube tips

Abstract

The authors describe the properties of electronically active nanowires that can be assembled via DNA directed growth on a nanostructured array. DNA-modified nanoparticles are used to site-specifically address the tips of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that serve as catalysts for the growth of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods. Using conductive probe atomic force microscopy, they measured the conductance characteristics of single ZnO-CNT structures under various force and illumination conditions and at different sites in a large array, thereby establishing that DNA directed formation of multimaterial, optically active nanostructures can yield devices that are electronically functional at the nanometer scale. The inherent ability of DNA to carry and convey encoded information provides the basis for targeted synthesis of nanostructured devices.