DNA Sequences-Mediated Fine-Tuning of Nanostructures and Their Plasmonic Properties over Gold Nanorods

Abstract Morphology control has been proven as powerful and versatile mean for tailoring the properties of metal nanocrystals for a wide variety of applications ranging from plasmonic to sensing, imaging, and catalysis. Herein, we explored the influence of DNA sequences on nanoparticles’ morphologies and plasmonic properties, including the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance. We successfully synthesized series of gold nanocrystals with brand new shapes using systematic variation of DNA sequences. Importantly, we found the plasmonic properties of the resulted gold nanostructure could be fine-tuned with the different DNA combination, and further extended to use the nanoparticles into the cell Raman imaging. This work is leaving a scope of the possibility to using DNA to rationally design and synthesize nanostructures as desired morphologies and functions.