Silver-catalyzed fabrication of copper nanowires on DNA templates

INOR 759

Adam L. Washburn, washburnadam@gmail.com, Hector A. Becerril, and Adam T. Woolley. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, C100 BNSN, Provo, UT 84602
We have created copper nanowires by electroless metal deposition onto DNA. A silicon surface derivatized with chlorodimethyloctadecylsilane has DNA aligned on it and is treated with Ag+. The entire substrate is then immersed for ~3 minutes in an electroless copper plating solution at 40 °C. The plating bath is a basic, aqueous solution of Cu2+ that contains tartrate ion as a complexing agent and formaldehyde as a reductant. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopy images show that these DNA-templated copper nanowires are 10 to 100 nm in diameter and are continuous over distances up to 70 μm. We are currently working to create DNA-templated copper nanowires that cross micropatterned electrodes to allow us to measure the conductivity properties of these systems using a low-current microprobe station. Straightforward methods for making highly conductive copper nanowires should facilitate the development of nanoelectronic devices.