A simple method for kinetic control of DNA-induced nanoparticle assembly.

A regulation of the kinetic behavior in DNA-based nanosystems is required for emerging applications in sensing, nanodevice assembling, and gene delivery. Here we describe a broadly applicable method for controlling the kinetics of DNA-mediated nanoparticle self-assembly by tailoring the DNA-capping between single-stranded and partially rigid double-stranded designs. An effect of enhanced assembly kinetics was facilitated by the added rigidity which reduced chain entropy while extending crucial linker segments away from the nanoparticle interface where they are known to coordinate.