Self-organizing molecular photonic structures based on functionalized synthetic nucleic acid (DNA) polymers

Abstract

Work has been carried out with the objective of imparting the electronic/photonic property of extended Forster energy transfer into organized structures formed by the programmed self-assembly of synthetic nucleic acid units (fluorescent oligonucleotides and polynucleotides). Forster energy transfer is a non-radiative process by which a fluorescent donor molecule excited at one wavelength is able to transfer its absorbed photonic energy efficiently to a fluorescent acceptor molecule, in close proximity, which then re-emits it at a second wavelength. An extended energy transfer system, with multiple donor molecules, could be considered a molecular photonic antenna or amplifier structure. Relatively efficient extended Forster energy transfer was observed in initial experiments involving multiple fluorescent donor and acceptor oligonucleotides. These results provide a clear demonstration of totally synthetic molecules, with highly specific programmable self-assembling properties, organizing into molecular structures with useful electronic/photonic properties.