Rational Self-Assembly of Nano-Colloids using DNA Interaction

DNA is an attractive tool to direct the rational self-assembly of nano-colloids since its interaction is specific and reversible. This tunable attractive interaction should lead to a diverse and rich phase diagram of higher ordered structures which would not otherwise be entropically favored.\footnote{Tkachenko AV, Morphological Diversity of DNA-Colloidal Self-Assembly, Phys. Rev. Lett 89 (2002)} We compare our latest experimental observations to a simulation framework that precisely replicates the experimental phase behavior and the crystal growth kinetics.\footnote{Kim AJ, Scarlett R., Biancaniello PL, Sinno T, Crocker JC, Probing interfacial equilibration in microsphere crystals formed by DNA-directed assembly, Nature Materials 8, 52-55 (2009)} We will discuss the crystallography of novel structures and address how particle size and heterogeneity affect nucleation and growth rates.