scholarly journals Shape-Programmed Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Designed DNA Building Blocks into Massive Three-Dimensional Finite-Size Objects

2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 474a-475a
Author(s):  
Klaus Franz Wagenbauer ◽  
Christian Sigl ◽  
Hendrik Dietz
2014 ◽  
Vol 1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garima Thakur ◽  
Kovur Prashanthi ◽  
Thomas Thundat

ABSTRACTSelf–assembly of molecular building blocks provides an interesting route to produce well-defined chemical structures. Tailoring the functionalities on the building blocks and controlling the time of self-assembly could control the properties as well as the structure of the resultant patterns. Spontaneous self-assembly of biomolecules can generate bio-interfaces for myriad of potential applications. Here we report self-assembled patterning of human serum albumin (HSA) protein in to ring structures on a polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified gold surface. The structure of the self-assembled protein molecules and kinetics of structure formation entirely revolved around controlling the nucleation of the base layer. The formation of different sizes of ring patterns is attributed to growth conditions of the PEG islands for bio-conjugation. These assemblies might be beneficial in forming structurally ordered architectures of active proteins such as HSA or other globular proteins.


MRS Bulletin ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 713-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Bein

AbstractOrdered nanoscale pore systems such as those represented by zeolites offer many opportunities for the design of complex functional systems via self-assembly.With their large internal surface areas and tunable, well-defined crystalline pore structures that allow molecular sieving and ion exchange, zeolites can be adapted for numerous applications. The nanoscale reactors present in zeolite pore systems have been explored as structural templates for the spatial organization of numerous guests. Examples from various fields are discussed, such as the stabilization of organic dyes for the construction of energy transfer and storage systems, the construction of host–guest hybrid catalyst systems, and the encapsulation of conducting or semiconducting nanoscale wires and clusters. More complex, hierarchical forms of nanostructured matter become accessible when zeolite crystals are used as building blocks for the selfassembly of thin films or three-dimensional objects. A combination of weaker and stronger interactions ranging from dispersive forces, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions to covalent bonding can be used to build functional hierarchical constructs. Several examples and novel applications of such systems will be discussed, including oriented channel systems, chemical sensors, and hierarchical pore systems for catalytic reactions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 632-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Du ◽  
David Bléger ◽  
Fabrice Charra ◽  
Vincent Bouchiat ◽  
David Kreher ◽  
...  

Two-dimensional (2D), supramolecular self-assembly at surfaces is now well-mastered with several existing examples. However, one remaining challenge to enable future applications in nanoscience is to provide potential functionalities to the physisorbed adlayer. This work reviews a recently developed strategy that addresses this key issue by taking advantage of a new concept, Janus tecton materials. This is a versatile, molecular platform based on the design of three-dimensional (3D) building blocks consisting of two faces linked by a cyclophane-type pillar. One face is designed to steer 2D self-assembly onto C(sp2)-carbon-based flat surfaces, the other allowing for the desired functionality above the substrate with a well-controlled lateral order. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously obtain a regular, non-covalent paving as well as supramolecular functionalization of graphene, thus opening interesting perspectives for nanoscience applications.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Tang ◽  
Cameron Mura ◽  
Kyle J. Lampe

ABSTRACTShort peptides are uniquely versatile building blocks for self-assembly. Supramolecular peptide assemblies can be used to construct functional hydrogel biomaterials—an attractive approach for neural tissue engineering. Here, we report a new class of short, five-residue peptides that form hydrogels with nanofiber structures. Using rheology and spectroscopy, we describe how sequence variations, pH, and peptide concentration alter the mechanical properties of our pentapeptide hydrogels. We find that this class of seven unmodified peptides forms robust hydrogels from 0.2–20 kPa at low weight percent (less than 3 wt. %) in cell culture media, and undergoes shear-thinning and rapid self-healing. The peptides self-assemble into long fibrils with sequence-dependent fibrillar morphologies. These fibrils exhibit a unique twisted ribbon shape, as visualized by TEM and Cryo-EM imaging, with diameters in the low tens of nanometers and periodicities similar to amyloid fibrils. Experimental gelation behavior corroborates our molecular dynamics simulations, which demonstrate peptide assembly behavior, an increase in β-sheet content, and patterns of variation in solvent accessibility. Our Rapidly Assembling Pentapeptides for Injectable Delivery (RAPID) hydrogels are syringe-injectable and support cytocompatible encapsulation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), as well as their proliferation and three-dimensional process extension. Furthermore, RAPID gels protect OPCs from mechanical membrane disruption and acute loss of viability when ejected from a syringe needle, highlighting the protective capability of the hydrogel as potential cell carriers for trans-plantation therapies. The tunable mechanical and structural properties of these supramolecular assemblies are shown to be permissive to cell expansion and remodeling, making this hydrogel system suitable as an injectable material for cell delivery and tissue engineering applications.


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 629-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Doles ◽  
Sabina Božič ◽  
Helena Gradišar ◽  
Roman Jerala

Bionanotechnology seeks to modify and design new biopolymers and their applications and uses biological systems as cell factories for the production of nanomaterials. Molecular self-assembly as the main organizing principle of biological systems is also the driving force for the assembly of artificial bionanomaterials. Protein domains and peptides are particularly attractive as building blocks because of their ability to form complex three-dimensional assemblies from a combination of at least two oligomerization domains that have the oligomerization state of at least two and three respectively. In the present paper, we review the application of polypeptide-based material for the formation of material with nanometre-scale pores that can be used for the separation. Use of antiparallel coiled-coil dimerization domains introduces the possibility of modulation of pore size and chemical properties. Assembly or disassembly of bionanomaterials can be regulated by an external signal as demonstrated by the coumermycin-induced dimerization of the gyrase B domain which triggers the formation of polypeptide assembly.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7558
Author(s):  
Shuang Wang ◽  
Xiaolin Xie ◽  
Zhi Chen ◽  
Ningning Ma ◽  
Xue Zhang ◽  
...  

The exploitation of new methods to control material structure has historically been dominating the material science. The bottom-up self-assembly strategy by taking atom/molecule/ensembles in nanoscale as building blocks and crystallization as a driving force bring hope for material fabrication. DNA-grafted nanoparticle has emerged as a “programmable atom equivalent” and was employed for the assembly of hierarchically ordered three-dimensional superlattice with novel properties and studying the unknown assembly mechanism due to its programmability and versatility in the binding capabilities. In this review, we highlight the assembly strategies and rules of DNA-grafted three-dimensional superlattice, dynamic assembly by different driving factors, and discuss their future applications.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246453
Author(s):  
Connor Murphy ◽  
Yunqi Cao ◽  
Nelson Sepúlveda ◽  
Wei Li

Bottom-up self-assembly of components, inspired by hierarchically self-regulating aggregation of small subunits observed in nature, provides a strategy for constructing two- or three-dimensional intriguing biomimetic materials via the spontaneous combination of discrete building blocks. Herein, we report the methods of ultrasonic wave energy-assisted, fast, two- and three-dimensional mesoscale well-ordered self-assembly of microfabricated building blocks (100 μm in size). Mechanical vibration energy-driven self-assembly of microplatelets at the water-air interface of inverted water droplets is demonstrated, and the real-time formation process of the patterned structure is dynamically explored. 40 kHz ultrasonic wave is transferred into microplatelets suspended in a water environment to drive the self-assembly of predesigned well-ordered structures. Two-dimensional self-assembly of microplatelets inside the water phase with a large patterned area is achieved. Stable three-dimensional multi-layered self-assembled structures are quickly formed at the air-water interface. These demonstrations aim to open distinctive and effective ways for new two-dimensional surface coating technology with autonomous organization strategy, and three-dimensional complex hierarchical architectures built by the bottom-up method and commonly found in nature (such as nacre, bone or enamel, etc.).


Author(s):  
C.L. McGuiness ◽  
R.K. Smith ◽  
M.E. Anderson ◽  
P.S. Weiss ◽  
D.L. Allara

This article focuses on the use of molecular films as building blocks for nanolithography. More specifically, it reviews efforts aimed at utilizing organic molecular assemblies in overcoming the limitations of lithography, including self-patterning and directed patterning. It considers the methods of patterning self-assembled organic monolayer films through soft-lithographic methods such as microcontact printing and nanoimprint lithography, through direct ‘write’ or ‘machine’ processes with a nanometer-sized tip and through exposure to electron or photon beams. It also discusses efforts to pattern the organic assemblies via the physicochemical self-assembling interactions, including patterning via phase separation of chemically different molecules and insertion of guest adsorbates into host matrices. Furthermore, it examines the efforts that have been made to couple patterned molecular assemblies with inorganic thin-film growth methods to form spatially constrained, three-dimensional thin films. Finally, it describes a hybrid self-assembly/conventional lithography (i.e. molecular rulers) approach to forming nanostructures.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biswajit Sannigrahi ◽  
Juana Mendenhall ◽  
Ishrat M Khan

ABSTRACTBottom-up design of materials via self-assembly with appropriate building blocks offers the possibility of developing innovative three-dimensional all synthetic materials with new functionalities. Helical optically active poly(3-methyl-4-vinylpyridine)/(R) and (S) mandelic acid and helical optically active poly(3-methyl-4-vinylpyridine) (P3M4VP)/ D- and L- amino acid complexes have been prepared. A diblock copolymer of helical poly[(3-methyl-4-vinylprydine)/mandelic acid complex]-block-poly(styrene) has been processed into smectic layer-like helical-bundle structures on silicon wafer. Additionally, optically active helical poly(2-methoxystyrene) (P2PMS) has been synthesized and the surfaces of the chiral helical P2MS have been shown to be effective as supports for mouse and human osteoblast cells. The cell attachment and growth data demonstrate that the chiral P2MS surfaces were better supports compared to achiral P2MS surfaces.


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