DNA nanostructures, DNA origami in particular, have been widely used to arrange molecules and other nanoscale components (e.g., proteins and nanoparticles [NPs]), with nanometer precision into almost arbitrary geometries1,2,3,4,5. The ability to arrange metal NPs on DNA origami templates with a high yield and accuracy enables the fabrication of plasmonic structures with novel optical properties6,7,8,9,10. DNA origami technique is especially useful for the generation of chiral plasmonic structures, which require genuinely three-dimensional architectures11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20.
This protocol describes in detail the entire process of the fabrication of DNA origami-templated chiral assemblies of AuNRs. The software used for the design21 and structure prediction22,23 of DNA origami is intuitive and freely available. The origami fabrication and AuNR synthesis use common biochemistry lab equipment (e.g., thermocyclers, gel electrophoresis, hot plates, centrifuges). The structures are characterized using standard TEM and CD spectroscopy.
The fabrication of similar plasmonic nanostructures with top-down methods (e.g., electron beam lithography) would require rather complicated and expensive equipment. In addition, DNA origami templates provide the possibility to incorporate structural reconfigurability in plasmonic assemblies24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33, which is extremely challenging for structures fabricated with lithography techniques. Compared to other molecular-based approaches34,35,36,37, DNA origami-based fabrication provides a high level of spatial precision and programmability.