Brookhaven's Oleg Gang Named a Battelle 'Inventor
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Gang's technique takes advantage of the specificity of binding between the four bases that make up strands of DNA (commonly known by the letters A, T, G, and C) and the ability to program DNA to get complementary strands and their tethered nanoparticles to link up into larger scale, three-dimensional, well-ordered structures. So far, this approach has resulted in a variety of nanoparticle assemblies, including composite structures with switchable phases whose optical, magnetic, or other properties might be put to use in dynamic energy-harvesting or responsive optical materials, and even materials with multifunctional, synergistic properties.
"This work has opened a new direction for the self-assembly of nanoparticles, which makes it possible to design and prepare a new class of materials with novel properties, and whose long-term economic impact, though difficult to quantify at the moment, is undeniable," said Emilio Mendez, former director of the CFN and now Director of the Energy Science and Technology Department at Brookhaven Lab.
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=53370