Directed crystallization of a large variety of nanoparticles, including proteins, via DNA hybridization kinetics has led to unique materials with a broad range of crystal symmetries. The nanoparticles are functionalized with DNA chains that link neighboring functionalized units. The shape of the nanoparticle, the DNA length, the sequence of the hybridizing DNA linker, and the grafting density determine the crystal symmetries and lattice spacing. By carefully selecting these parameters, one can, in principle, achieve all the symmetries found for both atomic and colloidal crystals of asymmetric shapes as well as new symmetries and can drive transitions between them. A scale-accurate coarse-grained model with explicit DNA chains provides the design parameters, including the degree of hybridization, to achieve specific crystal structures. The model also provides surface energy values to determine the shape of defect-free single crystals with macroscopic anisotropic properties, which has potential for the fabr...

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DNA 驱动组装：从多面体纳米粒子到蛋白质

包括蛋白质在内的多种纳米颗粒通过 DNA 杂交动力学定向结晶，已经产生了具有广泛晶体对称性的独特材料。纳米颗粒通过连接相邻功能化单元的 DNA 链进行功能化。纳米颗粒的形状、DNA 长度、杂交 DNA 接头的序列和接枝密度决定了晶体的对称性和晶格间距。通过仔细选择这些参数，原则上可以实现非对称形状的原子和胶体晶体的所有对称性以及新的对称性，并可以驱动它们之间的跃迁。具有明确 DNA 链的尺度精确粗粒度模型提供了设计参数，包括杂交程度，以实现特定的晶体结构。