Abstract
Organization of spherical particles into lattices is typically driven by packing considerations. Although the addition of directional binding can significantly broaden structural diversity, nanoscale implementation remains challenging. Here we investigate the assembly of clusters and lattices in which anisotropic polyhedral blocks coordinate isotropic spherical nanoparticles via shape-induced directional interactions facilitated by DNA recognition. We show that these polyhedral blocks—cubes and octahedrons—when mixed with spheres, promote the assembly of clusters with architecture determined by polyhedron symmetry. Moreover, three-dimensional binary superlattices are formed when DNA shells accommodate the shape disparity between nanoparticle interfaces. The crystallographic symmetry of assembled lattices is determined by the spatial symmetry of the block's facets, while structural order depends on DNA-tuned interactions and particle size ratio. The presented lattice assembly strategy, exploiting shape for defining the global structure and DNA-mediation locally, opens novel possibilities for by-design fabrication of binary lattices.
Highlights
Organization of spherical particles into lattices is typically driven by packing considerations
We demonstrate, using cubic and octahedral nanoblocks, that well-defined three-dimensional (3D) lattices of spheres and blocks can be formed within appropriate regimes of nanoparticle sizes and DNA shells
In this study we realize this concept by employing directional bonds provided through polyhedral nano blocks, either cubes (CBs) or octahedrons (OCs), for assembly of spherical nanoparticles
Summary
Organization of spherical particles into lattices is typically driven by packing considerations. We investigate the assembly of clusters and lattices in which anisotropic polyhedral blocks coordinate isotropic spherical nanoparticles via shape-induced directional interactions facilitated by DNA recognition. We show that these polyhedral blocks—cubes and octahedrons—when mixed with spheres, promote the assembly of clusters with architecture determined by polyhedron symmetry. The crystallographic symmetry of assembled lattices is determined by the spatial symmetry of the block’s facets, while structural order depends on DNA-tuned interactions and particle size ratio. The resultant anisotropic interactions mimic the directional bonds of atomic systems This strategy has been highly successful at the micron scale, with demonstration of assembling designed clusters[17,18]. We demonstrate, using cubic and octahedral nanoblocks, that well-defined three-dimensional (3D) lattices of spheres and blocks can be formed within appropriate regimes of nanoparticle sizes and DNA shells
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