DIAGEL · Phase diagram of DNA decorated colloids
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2007-12-01 → 2008-11-30
- EU contribution
- €40,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - DIAGEL (Phase Diagram of DNA decorated colloids.)
New materials can be created by the controlled self-assembly of particles, using a bottom-up approach. Selective adhesion, through the specificity of DNA hybridisation has emerged as a powerful tool. DNA oligonucleotide coupling is an ideal way to interface particles via controllable and tuneable interactions. This has important consequences for building functional devices with novel properties for optical, electronic and bio-medical applications. Control of the valence of the elemental building blocks is a crucial issue for the efficient functionality of the particles. Controlling the length and sequence of the DNA strands grafted onto a core particle makes it possible to modulate the strength of the interaction and thereby alter the temperature or concentration at which assembly occurs via DNA hybridization. The behaviour of an experimentally realised model for nanoparticles functionalized by four single strands of DNA in a tetrahedral configuration, has been characterized and it has been shown that it presents a rich phase diagram with at least three critical points and four thermodynamically distinct amorphous phases. These phases consist of a hierarchy of interpenetrating networks. Thus, bonding specificity of DNA provides an effective route to generate new materials with polymorphic behaviour, or to create structured materials with novel properties. The influence of the anisotropy of the attractive interaction has been also investigated for simple colloidal systems in order to provide a route map to the phase behaviour of more complex anisotropic systems.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
DNA-decorated colloids, open new possibilities for the assembly of networked materials. They consist of colloids decorated with specifically designed DNA sequences. Controlling the number of arms, length and DNA sequence, it will be possible to design a DNA colloid that will self-assemble in a very precise way. Theoretical and simulation studies are required to establish the general features of these materials. The study under which circumstances an arrested state is expected instead of an ordered structure, or a fluid-fluid phase separation is required.The relation between the gel line and the glass line, and the possibility to generate physical gels in a reversible way will be studied. Controlling the length of the strands, the bond energy will be tuned, so the physical gel can be formed in equilibrium as close as desired to the percolation line. The dynamic properties of these systems will be obtained with Molecular Dynamics simulations, and the phase diagram with Monte Carlo simulations in the grand-canonical ensemble, were an effective potential, recently developed, will be applied. We will study the mechanism of self-assembly, and the influence of the different parameters (T, length, sequence, number of arms), and the obtained structures will be described. DNA-materials will be the building blocks of new materials.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA · SANTANDERCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union