Switching bonds in a DNA gel: an all-DNA vitrimer

Phys Rev Lett. 2015 Feb 20;114(7):078104. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.078104. Epub 2015 Feb 19.

Abstract

We design an all-DNA system that behaves like vitrimers, innovative plastics with self-healing and stress-releasing properties. The DNA sequences are engineered to self-assemble first into tetra- and bifunctional units which, upon further cooling, bind to each other forming a fully bonded network gel. An innovative design of the binding regions of the DNA sequences, exploiting a double toehold-mediated strand displacement, generates a network gel which is able to reshuffle its bonds, retaining at all times full bonding. As in vitrimers, the rate of bond switching can be controlled via a thermally activated catalyst, which in the present design is very short DNA strands.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Gels / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Gels
  • DNA