Crystallization of DNA-coated colloids

Yu Wang, Yufeng Wang, Xiaolong Zheng, Étienne Ducrot, Jeremy S. Yodh, Marcus Weck () and David J. Pine ()
Additional contact information
Yu Wang: Molecular Design Institute, New York University
Yufeng Wang: Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University
Xiaolong Zheng: Molecular Design Institute, New York University
Étienne Ducrot: Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University
Jeremy S. Yodh: Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University
Marcus Weck: Molecular Design Institute, New York University
David J. Pine: Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract DNA-coated colloids hold great promise for self-assembly of programmed heterogeneous microstructures, provided they not only bind when cooled below their melting temperature, but also rearrange so that aggregated particles can anneal into the structure that minimizes the free energy. Unfortunately, DNA-coated colloids generally collide and stick forming kinetically arrested random aggregates when the thickness of the DNA coating is much smaller than the particles. Here we report DNA-coated colloids that can rearrange and anneal, thus enabling the growth of large colloidal crystals from a wide range of micrometre-sized DNA-coated colloids for the first time. The kinetics of aggregation, crystallization and defect formation are followed in real time. The crystallization rate exhibits the familiar maximum for intermediate temperature quenches observed in metallic alloys, but over a temperature range smaller by two orders of magnitude, owing to the highly temperature-sensitive diffusion between aggregated DNA-coated colloids.

Date: 2015
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8253 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8253

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8253

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().