Shape-Dependent Reversible Assembly Properties of Polyvalent DNA-Silver Nanocube Conjugates

We have synthesized polyvalent DNA-silver nanocube conjugates and investigated their chemical and physical properties. The DNA loading of the conjugates has been effectively controlled via chemical modification of the cube surface. Importantly, we have discovered that the reversible cooperative assembly properties of the conjugates are significantly associated with the flat surface of the conjugates' cubic structure, which is distinctive from the conventional DNA spherical nanopartide conjugates. A DNA detection scheme based upon the distance-dependent optical properties of DNA-silver nanocube conjugates has been demonstrated.