DNA Origami Nanoneedles on Freestanding Lipid Membranes as a Tool To Observe Isotropic-Nematic Transition in Two Dimensions

We introduce a simple experimental system to study dynamics of needle-like nanoobjects in two dimensions (2D) as a function of their surface density close to the isotropicnematic transition. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, we find that translational and rotational diffusion of rigid DNA origami nanoneedles bound to freestanding lipid membranes is strongly suppressed upon an increase in the surface particle density. Our experimental observations show a good agreement with results of Monte Carlo simulations of Brownian hard needles in 2D.