Plasmid DNA as a template for metal nanoparticle formation

COLL 185

Jacopo Samson, jacopo.samson@gmail.com1, Charles Michael Drain, cdrain@hunter.cuny.edu1, and Alessandro Varotto, alessandro_varotto@yahoo.it2. (1) Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Hunter College & Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021, (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry, Hunter College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Plasmid DNA is a suitable template for fabricating conductive nanoparticles. These metal nanoparticles were synthesized via reduction of the metal salts using the DNA as a sacrificial reductant. The DNA template was incubated with either a gold(III) or a copper(II) chloride solution (25 mM) for 2 hours at room temperature and then UV irradiated for 90 minutes. While the DNA template was oxidized, the ionic metals were reduced forming monodispersed nanoparticles. AFM characterization of these disc-like particles reveal average diameters of 100±10 nm and heights of 6±1 nm. Gel electrophoresis after UV irradiation showed that the DNA template was completely degraded. A possible mechanism is that the inner diameter of the toroidal condensation state of the DNA template may function as a nucleation site for nanoparticle formation. This method of synthesizing monodispersed metal nanoparticles uses low-cost plasmid DNA molecules as a sacrificial template and can be scale up readily.
 

Fundamental Research in Colloid and Surface Chemistry
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Monday, August 20, 2007 BCEC -- East Registration, Poster

Division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007