Discrete pH-Responsive Plasmonic Actuators via Site-Selective Encoding of Nanoparticles with DNA Triple Helix Motif

The synthesis of discrete nanoparticle self-assemblies has challenged the nanotechnology field for decades and has limited the study of nanoparticle interactions and the advance of nanomachinery. Here, we describe the preparation of discrete nanoparticle dimers from spherical gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods with stimuli-responsive optical properties as a result of site-specific DNA functionalization with an active triple helix motif. We present discrete assemblies using anisotropic nanoparticles that dynamically respond to changes in pH. Our approach to creating building blocks for nanoparticle self-assembly capable of creating discrete structures may allow for the future study of nanoparticle-nanoparticle interactions, plasmonic sensors, and nanoparticle-DNA hybrid nanomachinery.