Robust nucleation control via crisscross polymerization of highly coordinated DNA slats

Abstract

For programmable DNA self-assembly, it is desirable to suppress spontaneous nucleation to enable all-or-nothing assembly of nanostructures far larger than a single DNA origami. Here the authors introduce crisscross polymerization of elongated slat monomers that engage beyond nearest neighbors, providing strictly seed-initiated nucleation of crisscross ribbons with distinct widths and twists.