Structural control at the nanometer scale is key to the development of nanotechnology. Supramolecular self-assembly is one promising approach to achieve this goal. Among many self-assembly molecular systems, DNA stands out as one of the best choices. Because DNA is the universal genetic materials, its structure and physical/chemical properties have been extensively studied, and a rich array of manipulation tools have been developed. DNA has excellent molecular recognition capability. Its structure can be precisely predicted. And branched DNA motifs have also been constructed. Combining all these factors together, DNA-based nanostructures have been rapidly developed. Here, the discussion focuses on the recent development of DNA nanostructures in our group: (1) static structures, (2) dynamic structures, and (3) conversion of DNA structures into metallic structures.

References and Footnotes

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3. Z. Deng and C. Mao. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 43, 4068-4070 (2004).