Supramolecular DNA Photonic Hydrogels for On-Demand Control of Coloration with High Spatial and Temporal Resolution

Abstract

Hydrogels embedded with periodic arrays of nanoparticles display a striking photonic crystal coloration that may be useful for applications such as camouflage, anticounterfeiting, and chemical sensing. Dynamically generating color patterns requires control of nanoparticle organization within a polymer network on-demand, which is challenging. We solve this problem by creating a DNA hydrogel system that shows a 50 000-fold decrease in modulus upon heating by ∼10 °C. Magnetic nanoparticles entrapped within these DNA gels generate a structural color only when the gel is heated and a magnetic field is applied. A spatially controlled photonic crystal coloration was achieved by photopatterning with a near-infrared illumination. Color was “erased” by illuminating or heating the gel in the absence of an external magnetic field. The on-demand assembly technology demonstrated here may be beneficial for the development of a new generation of smart materials with potential applications in erasable lithography, encryption, and sensing.

Design and application of stimuli-responsive DNA hydrogels: A review

“…Dong et al. reported a DNA hydrogel encapsulating MNPs [ 114 ] ( Fig. 6 E) which generated structural colors under the actions of heating and magnetic field.…”

Magnetic hydrogels with ordered structure for biomedical applications

“…Hydrogel matrix could undergo a volume change in response to stimulation, changing the lattice constant of photonic crystals which resulted in the color change ( Shi et al, 2020a ). In order to realize on-demand assembly with high spatial and temporal resolution, DNA supramolecular hydrogels were used to control gelation and degelation process recently ( Dong et al, 2021 ).…”

Domain-Selective Enzymatic Cross-linking and Etching for Shape-Morphing DNA-Linked Nanoparticle Films

“…The sequence-specific molecular recognition property of DNA has been actively used for programmable self-assembly of nanoparticles. − In one approach, DNA-modified nanoparticles were used as building blocks to construct various types of nanoparticle assemblies such as dimers, small clusters, and three-dimensional superstructures. − In another approach, DNA nanostructures were used as templates to organize nanoparticles into precisely designed assembly structures. − In recent years, reversible DNA binding has been further exploited to fabricate stimuli-responsive nanoparticle assemblies capable of delicate structural transformations. − ,− Indeed, the capability of DNA to recognize and react to environmental changes provides unparalleled opportunities for the fabrication of dynamic nanostructures that respond to various external stimuli such as temperature, , ionic strengths, − small molecules, and DNA. ,, However, the responsivity of DNA can also be a critical drawback. In particular, nanostructures constructed with DNA linkages dissolve at high temperatures or low salt concentrations.…”