In-Situ Electron Microscopy of DNA-Guided Self Assembly and Reconfiguration of 3D Nanocrystal Superlattices
Abstract
Major Goals: Solution-phase self-assembly of nanoparticles into mesoscale structures via engineered nucleic acid linkers is a promising strategy for constructing functional materials and dynamically adaptive materials architectures from nanoscale components. Access to such systems is critical for realizing a wide range of defense-related capabilities including ultrasensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of chemical or biological agents, manipulation of the electromagnetic spectrum and photonic cloaking, development of autonomous inorganic organisms, or novel approaches to quantum information processing. The microscopic processes governing DNA-mediated self-assembly and reconfiguration remain poorly understood. Conventional experimental approaches can assess only the final assembly outside the native solution environment or follow the degree of ordering but do not provide access to real-space pathways and dynamics in the native solution environment, especially at small scale. Nanometer-resolution imaging approaches have large potential to advance our understanding of DNA-guided nanoparticle assemblies, and can support the exploration and harnessing of their technological potential. Here we use real-time observations by in-situ liquid cell electron microscopy (LCEM) and complementary in-situ imaging approaches, coupled with numerical simulations in a research program aimed at establishing the fundamental mechanisms, pathways, and forces that govern DNA-guided nanoparticle self-assembly and dynamic reconfiguration in the native liquid environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 07, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1202744
Entities
People
- Eli Sutter
- Peter Sutter
Organizations
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln