DNA-Programmable Assembly of Nanoparticles into Precision Anisotropic Architectures

纳米粒子自组装成精密的各向异性结构引起了学术界和工业界的极大兴趣，因为所生成的纳米结构具有独特的性质，在医学、催化、传感、光学、电子和能源相关领域具有广泛的应用。核酸是非常有吸引力的配体，可以用于指导粒子组装，因为它们具有显着的分子识别性能和基于特定的Watson-Crick碱基对相互作用的可编程性质。在这个项目中，申请者将专注于通过DNA编程组装在溶液中和表面构建精确的各向异性纳米颗粒结构，并探索它们在生物传感、催化、光学和电子学方面的潜在应用。由于互补DNA序列之间络合的特异性和可调性，利用DNA纳米技术中最先进的工具将以前所未有的精度获得新的结构。该项目不仅将建立制备各向异性纳米粒子组件的一般策略，如Janus纳米粒子和链状组件，而且还将显著拓宽纳米粒子结构的拓扑结构，这是传统方法无法实现的。更重要的是，这些各向异性结构将使许多新的应用在催化、生物医学和光学和电子器件中成为可能。申请者在聚合物科学、生物分子、纳米材料合成和纳米光刻技术方面拥有深厚的理论背景和卓越的实验专业知识，对于实现该项目的关键目标至关重要，例如通过聚合物辅助方法将纳米颗粒与DNA进行区域选择性功能化，探索新的各向异性结构，特别是具有不同拓扑结构的类聚合物组件，以及成功制备具有DNA功能的图案化表面以用于纳米粒子组装。此外，主管将为申请人提供全面和有效的DNA纳米技术和纳米材料制备方面的指导，提供一个有足够资金和所有必要基础设施和设施的优秀研究环境，以及良好的合作机会和对长期职业发展的有力支持。这些支持将确保项目的成功实施，并使申请者成为一名非常有前途和竞争力的、事业成熟的年轻科学家。

The self-assembly of nanoparticles into precision anisotropic architectures has attracted great interest in both academia and industry because the generated nanostructures can offer unique properties, which are useful for diverse applications in medicine, catalysis, sensing, optics, electronics, and energy-related areas. Nucleic acids are extremely attractive ligands that can be used for directing particle assembly because they have remarkable molecular recognition properties and programmable nature based on the specific Watson-Crick base pairing interactions. In this project, the applicant will focus on constructing precision anisotropic nanoparticle architectures both in solution and onto surfaces via DNA-programmed assembly, and exploring their potential applications in biosensing, catalysis, optics, and electronics. Due to the specificity and tunability of the complexation between complimentary DNA sequences, novel structures with unprecedented precision will be obtained using state-of-the-art tools in DNA nanotechnology. This project will not only establish general strategies for preparing anisotropic nanoparticle assemblies such as Janus nanoparticles and chain-like assemblies, but will also significantly broaden the topologies of nanoparticle architectures which are not achievable with traditional methods. More importantly, these anisotropic structures will enable many new applications in catalysis, biomedicine, and optical and electronic devices. The applicant’s strong theoretical background and distinguished experimental expertise in polymer science, biomolecules, nanomaterial synthesis and nanolithography are vital to achieve the key goals in the project, such as the regioselective functionalization of nanoparticles with DNA via polymer-assisted approaches, the exploration of novel anisotropic architectures especially polymer-like assemblies with different topologies, and the successful preparation of patterned surfaces with DNA functionalities for nanoparticle assembly. In addition, the supervisor will provide the applicant with comprehensive and effective guidance in DNA nanotechnology and nanomaterial preparation, an outstanding research environment with sufficient funding and all necessary infrastructures and facilities, as well as excellent collaboration opportunities and strong support for long-term career development. These supports will ensure the successful implementation of the project and allow the applicant to become an extremely promising and competitive young scientist with career maturity.