二维DNA晶体的多重熔解过程研究

可人工编程设计的刚性DNA分子瓦(DNA tile)中的DX分子(double-crossover，双交叉)能自组装形成二维DNA晶体。将含有二维DNA晶体的缓冲溶液程序升温，用紫外-可见分光光度计在260 nm处测定二维DNA晶体的熔解曲线，观测到了DNA晶体的多重熔解过程。AFM显微镜的研究也观测到了二维DNA晶体受热解体后的图像，表明二维DNA晶体的熔解过程首先发生在DX分子瓦间的黏性末端，然后是DX分子瓦的解体，由此推测，在DNA晶体生长过程中单链DNA相互结合成分子瓦后，分子瓦进一步自组装成晶体。     

DNA四面体结构纳米材料及其应用

基于DNA纳米技术自组装的DNA四面体纳米材料,由于结构稳定、机械性能优越、分子修饰位点丰富等特点,逐渐成为DNA纳米材料领域的研究热点。此外,该DNA四面体纳米材料只需一步热变性即可自组装形成,具有合成方法简单、产率高的优点。可通过不同的设计,利用自组装方法将功能分子修饰在DNA四面体的顶点处,包裹在其笼状孔隙结构内,镶嵌或悬挂在双螺旋的边上,甚至通过引入发卡环结构等方式智能控制其结构变化。本文综述了DNA四面体结构纳米材料的设计和自组装原理、功能化修饰方法和结构的智能化,同时介绍了DNA四面体纳米材料在分子诊断、生物成像、分子输送和靶向给药等方面的应用研究,并探讨了此类纳米材料在今后应用研究中应关注的方面。     

两亲性共轭高分子聚(对亚苯基丁二炔)的合成与二维自组装

设计、合成了两亲性线型共轭聚合物聚(对亚苯基丁二炔)(A-PPB),研究了它在溶液中的二维自组装行为.首先合成了A-PPB的前驱体聚合物PPB,利用核磁氢谱(1H-NMR)、傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)和拉曼光谱对聚合物的结构及分子量进行了表征.然后通过水解反应,获得了两亲性共轭聚合物A-PPB,并考察了它在水、甲醇以及甲醇/甲苯混合溶剂中的自组装行为.透射电子显微镜(TEM)的测试结果表明,A-PPB在水溶液中自组装形成了二维超分子纳米片(2D-SNS),尺寸达几微米;用原子力显微镜(AFM)测得2D-SNS的厚度为5 nm左右,由不超过3层的二维超分子聚合物层堆积而成.高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)、选区电子衍射(SAED)及X-射线衍射(XRD)的测试结果表明,2D-SNS是由A-PPB分子链平行堆积而成.在甲醇溶剂中,A-PPB形成了无规聚集体,而在甲醇/甲苯混合溶剂中则自组装形成了多层堆积的二维超分子纳米片.对比研究表明,非亲水的PPB在氯仿/甲醇混合溶剂中形成的是较厚的层状聚集体.还发现聚合物的链长对于自组装形成二维超分子片层也会有影响,当用数均聚合度为8的两亲性低聚(对亚苯基丁二炔)(A-OPB)在水溶液中进行自组装时,只能形成尺寸较小的无规聚集体.由此可见,聚合物的两亲性、电荷排斥作用以及聚合物链长等因素都会对共轭聚合物的二维自组装行为产生重要影响.     

纳米团簇的超分子自组装

在纳米材料的应用过程中, 纳米团簇或纳米粒子的组装将是非常关键的一步。纳米团簇的超分子化学组装方法可分为两类, 即胶态晶体法和模板法。胶态晶体法是利用胶体溶液的自组装特性将纳米团簇组装成超晶格, 可得到二维或三维有序的超晶格。模板法是利用纳米团簇与组装模板间的识别作用来带动团簇的组装, 可应用的模板有固体膜、单分子膜、有机分子、生物分子等。其中, 单分子膜模板是研究最多也是最为成熟的一种; 生物分子间严密的分子识别功能使其成为非常有发展前途的组装模板, 而且用生物分子模板有可能实现不同纳米团簇间的组装。     

基于双吡啶基双西佛碱通过氢键相互作用形成的有机超分子晶体

合成了双吡啶双西佛碱(bpbd)有机分子，并用该分子进行了超分子网络晶体的组装．X射线单晶结构分析表明：在bpbd晶体中存在着分子间氢键相互作用，该氢键由吡啶环上的N原子和西佛碱H—C—N基团上的H原子相互作用而成．每一个bpbd分子同另外4个bpbd分子通过氢键相连，构成了二维网状结构；在bpbd晶体中还存在分子间π…π相互作用，并导致一维分子柱的形成．二维氢键和一维π…π的协同作用，导致了三维超分子晶体的形成。     

硫原子桥联芳基取代/稠合四硫富瓦烯

近年来,四硫富瓦烯(Tetrathiafulvalene,TTF)衍生物的设计合成、超分子组装、组装材料的物理性能研究及其在有机电子器件中的应用引起了人们广泛的研究兴趣。在本文中,我们简略综述硫原子桥联芳基取代/稠合四硫富瓦烯衍生物(Ar-S-TTF)的最新研究进展,包括其高效合成、电化学及光学性能研究、分子的结构特征/空间堆积方式,以及此类分子与球形原子簇(富勒烯、杂多酸)之间的超分子组装及组装材料的性能。     

基于DNA分子的纳米功能材料的设计、组装及应用

DNA除了作为一种遗传信息的载体分子之外,还可以通过折叠或组装从而形成特定的二维和三维结构。通过设计DNA分子的结构并探索其与纳米材料之间的相互作用的研究已经引起了国内外学术界的持续关注。DNA功能化的无机纳米材料促进了分析科学、生命科学以及环境科学的快速发展。本文将从疾病分子机制研究、疾病诊断和疾病治疗三个角度出发,探究面向生物医学分析应用的DNA分子功能化的无机纳米材料的设计与组装。除此之外,还对DNA功能化纳米材料技术的发展前景进行了展望。     

[60]富勒烯的超分子自组装研究进展

超分子自组装是发展超分子电子学的重要途径。随着纳米科学和技术的迅速发展,自组装技术已成功地应用于纳米尺度物质的维数、形貌和功能等的调控。作为构筑分子水平上一维、二维、三维有序功能结构和高有序分子聚集态结构的关键技术,超分子自组装技术有力地推动了具有优良光、电、磁性能的分子材料和纳米功能材料更深层次的研究。本文综述了超分子自组装在富勒烯科学领域的基础研究和应用,特别是对有利于自组织和自组装功能的富勒烯基衍生物的设计与合成、超分子作用力引导的具有特定结构的分子体系的可控自组装、以及富勒烯分子聚集态结构材料的光物理过程、超分子中电子转移和能量转移现象进行了描述;并对卟啉、四硫富瓦烯、碗烯和杯芳烃等一系列富π电子化合物和大环主体分子等包含[60]富勒烯的主体化合物的超分子作用和超分自组装体以及通过氢键、π-π作用、静电力和范德华力和金属配位作用形成的[60]富勒烯超分子自组装体进行了总结,对未来发展进行了展望。     

电化学石英晶体微天平实时表征和定量检测短序列DNA

利用电化学石英晶体微天平(EQCM)这一灵敏的质量和电化学传感器测定特定序列DNA。应用自组装膜技术在压电石英晶振表面自组装一带羧基的α－硫辛酸单层膜,通过盐酸1-乙基-3-(3-二甲基氨基丙基)碳二亚胺(EDC)及N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺(NHS)共价固化寡聚核苷酸为探针,用于测定与其碱基序列互补的DNA。实验中EQCM实时监测了α-硫辛酸的自组装过程、探针固化过程及其与cDNA杂交过程。定量得出了探针固化量及cDNA杂交量。在酸性、中性和碱性条件下,分别对固化和杂交过程进行表征,实验发现探针固化及DNA杂交都受pH影响,本文对此现象进行了解释。同时,利用染料Hoechst33258的电化学活性,使其与双链DNA嵌合,通过测量Hoechst33258的电化学信息进一步验证了DNA杂交关键步骤。     

具有纳米孔洞的金属-有机超分子聚合物与功能材料

本文介绍了近几年来一个热门的研究领域－纳米超分子笼和具有纳米孔洞的金属－有机聚合物的研究现状和发展趋势。目前该领域的研究主要集中在：设计合成有机桥联配体并与金属离子自组装成各类具有纳米孔洞的超分子化合物和一维、二维或三维的金属－有机聚合物,应用结构化学研究手段,研究它们的自组装规律、空间结构、电子结构及其物理化学性能,寻找这两类化合物在生物工程与功能材料等领域中的应用。     

Insights into the Structure and Energy of DNA Nanoassemblies

Since the pioneering work of Ned Seeman in the early 1980s, the use of the DNA molecule as a construction material experienced a rapid growth and led to the establishment of a new field of science, nowadays called structural DNA nanotechnology. Here, the self-recognition properties of DNA are employed to build micrometer-large molecular objects with nanometer-sized features, thus bridging the nano- to the microscopic world in a programmable fashion. Distinct design strategies and experimental procedures have been developed over the years, enabling the realization of extremely sophisticated structures with a level of control that approaches that of natural macromolecular assemblies. Nevertheless, our understanding of the building process, i.e., what defines the route that goes from the initial mixture of DNA strands to the final intertwined superstructure, is, in some cases, still limited. In this review, we describe the main structural and energetic features of DNA nanoconstructs, from the simple Holliday junction to more complicated DNA architectures, and present the theoretical frameworks that have been formulated until now to explain their self-assembly. Deeper insights into the underlying principles of DNA self-assembly may certainly help us to overcome current experimental challenges and foster the development of original strategies inspired to dissipative and evolutive assembly processes occurring in nature.     

DNA origami: the art of folding DNA

The advent of DNA origami technology greatly simplified the design and construction of nanometer-sized DNA objects. The self-assembly of a DNA-origami structure is a straightforward process in which a long single-stranded scaffold (often from the phage M13mp18) is folded into basically any desired shape with the help of a multitude of short helper strands. This approach enables the ready generation of objects with an addressable surface area of a few thousand nm(2) and with a single "pixel" resolution of about 6 nm. The process is rapid, puts low demands on experimental conditions, and delivers target products in high yields. These features make DNA origami the method of choice in structural DNA nanotechnology when two- and three-dimensional objects are desired. This Minireview summarizes recent advances in the design of DNA origami nanostructures, which open the door to numerous exciting applications.     

Constructing Large 2D Lattices Out of DNA-Tiles

The predictable nature of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) interactions enables assembly of DNA into almost any arbitrary shape with programmable features of nanometer precision. The recent progress of DNA nanotechnology has allowed production of an even wider gamut of possible shapes with high-yield and error-free assembly processes. Most of these structures are, however, limited in size to a nanometer scale. To overcome this limitation, a plethora of studies has been carried out to form larger structures using DNA assemblies as building blocks or tiles. Therefore, DNA tiles have become one of the most widely used building blocks for engineering large, intricate structures with nanometer precision. To create even larger assemblies with highly organized patterns, scientists have developed a variety of structural design principles and assembly methods. This review first summarizes currently available DNA tile toolboxes and the basic principles of lattice formation and hierarchical self-assembly using DNA tiles. Special emphasis is given to the forces involved in the assembly process in liquid-liquid and at solid-liquid interfaces, and how to master them to reach the optimum balance between the involved interactions for successful self-assembly. In addition, we focus on the recent approaches that have shown great potential for the controlled immobilization and positioning of DNA nanostructures on different surfaces. The ability to position DNA objects in a controllable manner on technologically relevant surfaces is one step forward towards the integration of DNA-based materials into nanoelectronic and sensor devices.     

Self-assembled free-floating nanomaterials from sequence-defined polymers

Sequence-defined polymers can be programmed to self-assemble into precise nanostructures for applications in biosensing, drug delivery, optics, and molecular computation. Inspired by the natural self-assembly processes present in biological protein and DNA systems, sets of molecular design rules have emerged across materials classes as instructions to build a variety of tunable structures. This review highlights recent advances in self-assembled sequence-defined and sequence-specific polymers across peptides, peptoids, DNA, and non-biological synthetic materials, with a focus on synthesis, assembly processes and overall structure. Specifically, these self-assembled structures are free-floating, as such constructs can potentially serve as a platform for the aforementioned applications. Emphasis is placed on the molecular design of polymers that self-assemble into zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional nanostructures. With the development of automated syntheses and increasing control over self-assembly, future work may focus on emerging classes of compatible hybrid materials with exciting directions toward new architectures and applications.     

Crystal structure of a continuous three-dimensional DNA lattice

DNA has proved to be a versatile material for the rational design and assembly of nanometer scale objects. Here we report the crystal structure of a continuous three-dimensional DNA lattice formed by the self-assembly of a DNA 13-mer. The structure consists of stacked layers of parallel helices with adjacent layers linked through parallel-stranded base pairing. The hexagonal lattice geometry contains solvent channels that appear large enough to allow 3'-linked guest molecules into the crystal. We have successfully used these parallel base pairs to design and produce crystals with greatly enlarged solvent channels. This lattice may have applications as a molecular scaffold for structure determination of guest molecules, as a molecular sieve, or in the assembly of molecular electronics. Predictable non-Watson-Crick base pairs, like those described here, may present a new tool in structural DNA nanotechnology.     

结构DNA纳米技术应用新进展

DNA具有非凡的分子识别性能和显著的结构特征,这使得它在材料的纳米级调控方面具有独特的优越性,在许多领域也展现出广阔的应用前景。本文从模块化DNA自组装和DNA折纸术两个方面综述了近些年DNA纳米技术,包括近年来DNA纳米技术中比较新型的组装方法;并从DNA纳米结构作为模板定位纳米粒子和蛋白以及用于生物医药等方面介绍了DNA纳米技术的应用;同时,对DNA纳米技术发展及应用进行了展望。     

Rational design and biomedical applications of DNA-functionalized upconversion nanoparticles

In this review, we mainly introduced recent progress of DNA-functionalized upconversion materials, providing an overview of the design and applications in biosensing, bioimaging and disease therapy. The challenges and future perspectives are also discussed, aiming to promote their applications in materials science and biomedicine.     

DNA折纸术研究进展

DNA折纸术是近年来提出的一种全新的DNA自组装的方法,是DNA纳米技术与DNA自组装领域的一个重大进展。与传统的DNA自组装技术不同,DNA折纸术通过将一条长的DNA单链（通常为基因组DNA）与一系列经过设计的短DNA片段进行碱基互补,能够可控地构造出高度复杂的纳米图案或结构,在新兴的纳米领域中具有广泛的潜在应用。本文在介绍DNA折纸术相关原理的基础上,就DNA折纸术的起源、发展及其在DNA芯片、纳米元件与材料等领域的潜在应用进行了概述,探讨了DNA折纸术未来可能的发展方向。     

Single-chain antibodies against DNA aptamers for use as adapter molecules on DNA tile arrays in nanoscale materials organization

Complex DNA nanostructures have been developed as structural components for the construction of nanoscale objects. Recent advances have enabled self-assembly of organized DNA nanolattices and their use in patterning functional bio-macromolecules and other nanomaterials. Adapter molecules that bind specifically to both DNA lattices and nanomaterials would be useful components in a molecular construction kit for patterned nanodevices. Herein we describe the selection from phage display libraries of single-chain antibodies (scFv) for binding to a specific DNA aptamer and their development as adapter molecules for nanoscale construction. We demonstrate the decoration of various DNA tile structures with aptamers and show binding of the selected single-chain antibody as well as the self-assembly of mixed DNA-protein biomolecular lattices.     

Facile and Scalable Preparation of Pure and Dense DNA Origami Solutions

DNA has become a prime material for assembling complex three‐dimensional objects that promise utility in various areas of application. However, achieving user‐defined goals with DNA objects has been hampered by the difficulty to prepare them at arbitrary concentrations and in user‐defined solution conditions. Here, we describe a method that solves this problem. The method is based on poly(ethylene glycol)‐induced depletion of species with high molecular weight. We demonstrate that our method is applicable to a wide spectrum of DNA shapes and that it achieves excellent recovery yields of target objects up to 97 %, while providing efficient separation from non‐integrated DNA strands. DNA objects may be prepared at concentrations up to the limit of solubility, including the possibility for bringing DNA objects into a solid phase. Due to the fidelity and simplicity of our method we anticipate that it will help to catalyze the development of new types of applications that use self‐assembled DNA objects.