Probing Soft Corona Structures of DNA-Capped Nanoparticles by Small
Angle Neutron Scattering
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Abstract
Soft corona structures of DNA-capped
nanoparticles are crucial for their applications in diagnostics, gene
delivery, and superlattice growth. While conventional X-ray techniques
can only provide information on their inorganic cores, here we report
substantial new insights of DNA corona structures within DNA-capped
nanoparticles in this first study employing small angle neutron scattering
(SANS). Using two 15-mer DNA strands with palindromic sequence and
poly(dT) sequence under high number density packing on gold nanoparticle
surfaces, the influence of ionic strength and temperature on DNA corona
structures and resultant hybridization has been investigated. Poly(dT)
sequences were found to maintain globular corona structures across
a range of ionic strengths and temperatures, but the corona thickness
decreased with increasing salt concentration and increased with increasing
temperature. In contrast, palindromic sequenced DNA had globular corona
structures in the absence of salt but quickly evolved into dimeric
and multimeric structures under high ionic strength or under low annealing
temperatures. The structural insights revealed by SANS can guide the
design of tailor-made DNA corona structures for customizable designer
materials and devices