Regulating the Kinetics of DNA Attachment: Construction of Defined Clusters with High DNA Density and Strong Plasmonic Coupling

Regulating the kinetics of DNA grafting with certain control could provide good opportunities for constructing novel nanomaterials. However, it is rarely explored. Herein we report a facile strategy to regulate the kinetics of DNA attachment by simply adjusting the concentration of DNA or the pH value of solution, effectively fabricating strongly coupled clusters with dense DNA grafting in a one-pot process. Gold nanoparticle/nanorod dimers and trimers with dense DNA coverage were successfully obtained with high purity after a simple electrophoretic isolation and exhibited excellent stability, programmable assembly ability and strong plasmonic coupling property, which would have great potential in various areas, including sensing, catalysis and biomedicine.

Automated summary

This study introduces a facile strategy to regulate the kinetics of DNA attachment by adjusting the DNA concentration or solution pH, effectively fabricating strongly coupled clusters with dense DNA grafting. Gold nanoparticle/nanorod dimers and trimers with dense DNA coverage were successfully obtained, showing excellent performance and promising applications in various fields.