Chemical synthesis of nanostructures

A covalently closed DNA molecule with helix axes having the connectivity of a cube was constructed using a solid-support-based synthetic methodology. The technique provided control over the formation of each edge of the object, and the topological closure of each intermediate. Each edge resulted from the restrictions of two hairpins, which were then ligated together. The isolation of individual objects on the surface of the support permitted one to use both symmetric and asymmetric sites in the formation of edges that close polygons. The key aim was the formation of prespecified 2-D and 3-D periodic structures with defined topologies. Applications envisioned include nanomanipulators and scaffolding for molecular electronic devices.