Fabrication of photonic transfer DNA-quantum dot nanostructures

The fabrication of viable linear DNA photonic/electronic transfer nanostructures is an important prerequisite for the subsequent self-assembly into higher-order 2D/3D devices, structures and materials (high density memory, photonic antennas, nanoscale "fiber optics", nanocomputers, nano-sensors etc.). Unfortunately, it is very difficult to maintain the self-assembling and self-recognition properties of derivatized molecules such as biotin functionalized DNA sequences, when attempting to further derivatize the structure with multiply functionalized nanoparticles (streptavidin-quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, fluorescent polymer nanoparticles). Generally, overwhelming intra- and intermolecular crosslinking reactions prevent the formation of viable linear structures. Our goal is the development of nanofabrication techniques which will allow quantum dot functionalized linear DNA chains to be constructed without the need for complex chemical blocking group procedures.