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Solid gold is most stable as a face-centred cubic structure, and stable colloidal gold with hexagonal close packing has not been produced. Huanget al.prepare square gold sheets with hexagonal close packing that are stable under ambient conditions.

Very slow cooling, over several days, of solutions of complementary-DNA-modified nanoparticles through the melting temperature of the system produces nanoparticle assemblies with the Wulff equilibrium crystal structure, thus showing that DNA hybridization can direct nanoparticle assembly along a pathway that mimics atomic crystallization.

The development of a desktop nanofabrication tool allowing high-resolution patterning and high-throughput synthesis is a long-standing goal in many nanoscience fields. Here, the authors report a system that can write arbitrary patterns composed of diffraction-unlimited features over square centimetre areas.

The interface between two oxide materials can play host to numerous exotic phenomenon. Here, the authors observe a four order of magnitude change in the conductance at a lanthanum-aluminate–strontium-titanate interface controlled by surface protonation, which can be reversed by exposure to light.

Two- and three-dimensional mesoscale superlattice crystals with precisely engineered optical properties can be assembled from the bottom up by using DNA as a programmable ligand.

Rather than tuning metal–ligand interactions using carbon-based substituents, the effect of icosahedral carborane moieties — boron-rich clusters — on the coordination chemistry of phosphine–thioether ligands has been investigated. Depending on the positional attachment of the sulfur atom, the carboranes acted as either strong electron-withdrawing or strong electron-donating substituents.

Progress in DNA-mediated nanoparticle self-assembly has been hampered by the lack of a general method to control the bonding of nanoparticles of different chemical composition into lattices by means of DNA linkers. An approach that makes possible the functionalization of any nanoparticle that has hydrophobic capping ligands with a dense monolayer of DNA, and allows for independent control of composition, particle size and lattice parameters for a variety of lattices, is now demonstrated.

Hollow DNA-based spacer particles are used in the synthesis of nanoparticle superlattices with well-defined geometries, one of which has never been observed before.

Researchers use a DNA-mediated approach for the programmable assembly of octahedron-shaped plasmonic gold nanocrystals into nonlinear optical metacrystals. A maximum second-harmonic generation conversion efficiency of 10⁻⁹ is demonstrated.

This paper demonstrates that the DNA molecules attached to gold nanoparticles and the DNA molecules used to link them can be selected to ensure that the nanoparticles assemble into either face centred cubic or body-centred cubic crystals. Synthetically programmable colloid crystallization has finally arrived!

A technique based on templated electrochemical synthesis can be used to prepare coaxial nanowires with sub-10 nm resolution in both axial and radial dimensions.

DNA-functionalized, anisotropic nanostructures, such as triangular nanoprisms and nanorods, are shown to assemble by means of DNA hybridization into colloidal crystal structures. The crystallization parameters of these nanostructures, and hence the dimensionality and symmetry of the resultant superlattice, are strongly influenced by particle shape.

A technique based on scanning probe microscopy, which uses a two-dimensional array of nanoscopic apertures fabricated at the end of polymer tips to channel light to an underlying substrate, can be used to generate arbitrary patterns with both sub-diffraction limit and larger feature sizes over large areas.

High-index facet nanostructures are deliberately targeted and synthesized by using a data-driven approach that integrates high-throughput density functional theory calculations, machine learning and experimental validation. The effectiveness of this approach is shown by the discovery and subsequent synthesis of seven monometallic and four multimetallic tetrahexahedron-shaped high-index facet nanoparticles.

Faceted nanoparticles with high-index planes exposed usually bear promising material functionalities. Here, the authors directly observe the coarsening and facet regulation process of tetrahexahedra Pt nanoparticles by using in-situ gas-phase TEM.

By controlling the placement of 'sticky' patches on particles, assemblies can be made that mimic atomic bonding in molecules. This greatly expands the range of structures that can be assembled from small components. See Article p.51

Symmetry breaking in colloidal crystals is achieved with DNA-grafted programmable atom equivalents and complementary electron equivalents, whose interactions are tuned to create anisotropic crystalline precursors with well-defined coordination geometries that assemble into distinct low-symmetry crystals.

The lack of structural definition in nanomedicines limits therapeutic efficacy and complicates regulatory approval. Here, we emphasize that defining, designing and optimizing the structures of nanomedicines are critical  to developing effective therapies because their architectures — not just the identity of their components — determines potency.

A new label-free method for RNA detection uses programmable DNA tiles and atomic force microscopy.

The rational design and assembly of colloidal quasicrystals is achieved by exploring the hybridization of nanoscale decahedra nanoparticles functionalized with DNA linkers.

DNA or RNA molecules, arranged into spherical shapes, can attack brain cancers and other illnesses that evade conventional drug design.

Photosynthetic systems regulate light harvesting via structural and electronic control of antenna proteins. Here, the authors report a light-harvesting antenna/reaction centre mimic that can be allosterically regulated using mild and redox-inactive inputs, via a coordination framework with hemilabile ligands.

Currently, gold recovery from waste materials requires inorganic cyanides and more environmentally benign methods are required. Here, the authors report that host–guest interactions between α-cyclodextrin and gold lead to the precipitation of one-dimensional superstructures, offering a selective and green alternative.

The spatial distribution and placement of antigens in nanoparticle-based cancer vaccines can substantially affect antigen processing, cytokine production, the induction of immune memory and tumour growth.

Nanocrystal surface structure affects many properties but is tough to determine for halide-adsorbed materials. Here, the authors combine X-ray absorption measurements and computational modelling to elucidate the chloride metal surface structures for silver-coated gold nanocrystals with controlled shapes.

DNA-mediated assembly of hollow nanoparticles can be used in an edge-bonding approach to design and synthesize nanoscale open-channel superlattices, with control of symmetry, geometry and topology.

Preparing crystals held together with macromolecular bonds can create shape memory materials that can be engineered to exhibit a wide range of reversible changes useful for chemical sensing, optics and robotics.

Nanobiotech entrepreneurs learned the hard way that there is such a thing as pushing so-called exotic or emerging technologies too hard with investors. Biotech entrepreneurs could learn a thing or two from their experience.

A methodology combining high-throughput nanoparticle synthesis and machine learning can be used to efficiently explore structure–activity relationships for nanomedicines, as shown by spherical nucleic acids functioning as cancer-vaccine candidates.

Colloidal crystal engineering with DNA can be used to synthesize highly anisotropic hexagonal prismatic microcrystals. This manuscript introduces a plane multiplicity mechanism that can be used to deliberately design non-equilibrium Wulff shapes, a capability important in many areas, including optics and photocatalysis.

Aqueous zinc batteries are promising candidates for large scale energy storage systems but development of the cathode material remains a challenge. Here, the authors show a conductive 2D metal-organic framework involving intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanism for enhanced rate capability.

Topically applied imaging nanoprobes for the detection of intracellular mRNA expression from connective tissue growth factor enable the detection of hypertrophic scars and keloids in the skin of small live animals and in ex vivo human skin.

Colloidal crystals assembled from nanoscale building blocks are powerful designer materials with diverse functionalities. Here, the authors describe a colloidal crystal engineering strategy to prepare hierarchical structures from metal–organic framework nanoparticles and DNA which retain permanent porosity and catalytic activity.

The structural properties of the DNA-mediated assembly of co-crystals of anisotropic nanoparticles can be controlled through the shape and size complementarity of the DNA-coated nanoparticles.

A phase-separated state is observed with single-stranded DNA composed of ‘polymeric’ blocks and exploited to programme the assembly of micrometre-sized all-DNA colloidal particles.

Mirkin and colleagues outline the synthesis of protein spherical nucleic acids (ProSNAs), which constitute a versatile plug-and-play platform that uses protein functionalization with a dense nucleic acid corona to enable intracellular delivery both in vitro and in vivo.

Coupling of localized surface plasmon resonances offers a potential alternative to FRET for measuring nanometer-scale distances.

The recognition properties of biomolecules, such as peptides, could be used in the design of novel materials. A step in this direction is the controlled selection of peptides that can distinguish between different semiconductor surfaces.

Scanning probe techniques such as atomic force microscopy can be readily harnessed to prepare nanoscale structures with exquisite resolution, but are not in general suited for high-throughput patterning. Techniques based on contact printing, on the other hand, offer high throughput over large areas, but can't compete on resolution. Now, an approach is described that offers the best of both worlds: by attaching an array of hard, scanning-probe-like silicon tips to a flexible elastomeric substrate (similar to those used in contact printing), it is possible to rapidly create arbitrary patterns with sub-50-nm resolution over centimetre-scale areas.

The direct transfer of molecules onto surfaces to form specific patterns has had a significant impact in a number of areas of science and technology, ranging from biomedical diagnostics to nanoelectronics. This Perspective compares and contrasts different lithographic approaches to molecular printing and considers future directions for this field.

Nanoreactors that isolate chemical precursors within a confined space are promising tools for synthesizing nanoparticles. This Review unifies the many classes of solution-based and substrate-confined nanoreactors, evaluating their current synthetic capabilities and their potential for solving future challenges in nanoparticle synthesis.

This Review outlines the ability of DNA to direct the organization of particle-based building blocks into crystalline architectures. These advancements permit programmable control of each structural element of colloidal crystalline materials and enable the design of functional and responsive behaviours.

This article reviews the different strategies and devices that combine nanoscale and microscale materials to bring about faster, more sensitive and reliable diagnostic results in clinical medicine.