High-quality single crystal growth of DNA-functionalized nanoparticles

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H02555
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 28030:Nanomaterials-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Tagawa Miho 名古屋大学, 未来材料・システム研究所, 教授 (40512330)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: DNA / ナノ粒子 / 結晶成長 / X線小角散乱 / 自己集合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the crystallization of DNA-functionalized nanoparticles (DNA-NPs), in which synthetic DNA is modified on the surface of metal nanoparticles, a new crystal growth model was developed by considering both colloidal crystal growth and DNA self-assembly, which have been treated as different research fields, and a high-quality single crystal growth method was successfully established. We also developed a new method for the growth of high quality single crystals. In addition, by combining small-angle X-ray scattering and rotational crystal methods, we developed a nano- to mesoscale single-crystal structure analysis method and succeeded in analyzing the internal structure of a single crystal.

Free Research Field

コロイド結晶成長

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

DNAの選択的結合性を利用してナノ粒子を結晶化すると、ナノ粒子種の組み合わせや結晶構造、粒子間距離を自由自在に制御でき、構造自由度の高いナノ粒子超格子が作製できる。しかし、特性の良い物性を発現するための「結晶性」との両立が難しく、また単結晶を大きく成長させることも難しかった。本研究により、バルク材料（金塊等の巨視的な材料）とは異なる新奇な物性を持つナノ粒子が、更に周期構造化して発現する新奇な物性を見出し、応用する道が拓けた。