TY - JOUR
T1 - Distortion of DNA Origami on Graphene Imaged with Advanced TEM Techniques
AU - Kabiri, Yoones
AU - Ananth, Adithya N.
AU - van der Torre, Jaco
AU - Katan, Allard
AU - Hong, Jin Yong
AU - Malladi, Sairam
AU - Kong, Jing
AU - Zandbergen, Henny
AU - Dekker, Cees
PY - 2017/8/18
Y1 - 2017/8/18
N2 - While graphene may appear to be the ultimate support membrane for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of DNA nanostructures, very little is known if it poses an advantage over conventional carbon supports in terms of resolution and contrast. Microscopic investigations are carried out on DNA origami nanoplates that are supported onto freestanding graphene, using advanced TEM techniques, including a new dark-field technique that is recently developed in our lab. TEM images of stained and unstained DNA origami are presented with high contrast on both graphene and amorphous carbon membranes. On graphene, the images of the origami plates show severe unwanted distortions, where the rectangular shape of the nanoplates is significantly distorted. From a number of comparative control experiments, it is demonstrated that neither staining agents, nor screening ions, nor the level of electron-beam irradiation cause this distortion. Instead, it is suggested that origami nanoplates are distorted due to hydrophobic interaction of the DNA bases with graphene upon adsorption of the DNA origami nanoplates.
AB - While graphene may appear to be the ultimate support membrane for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of DNA nanostructures, very little is known if it poses an advantage over conventional carbon supports in terms of resolution and contrast. Microscopic investigations are carried out on DNA origami nanoplates that are supported onto freestanding graphene, using advanced TEM techniques, including a new dark-field technique that is recently developed in our lab. TEM images of stained and unstained DNA origami are presented with high contrast on both graphene and amorphous carbon membranes. On graphene, the images of the origami plates show severe unwanted distortions, where the rectangular shape of the nanoplates is significantly distorted. From a number of comparative control experiments, it is demonstrated that neither staining agents, nor screening ions, nor the level of electron-beam irradiation cause this distortion. Instead, it is suggested that origami nanoplates are distorted due to hydrophobic interaction of the DNA bases with graphene upon adsorption of the DNA origami nanoplates.
KW - DNA origami
KW - graphene
KW - nanostructures
KW - transmission electron microscopy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020500117&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a95c0f70-e05f-4ff7-9587-444911b810cf
U2 - 10.1002/smll.201700876
DO - 10.1002/smll.201700876
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020500117
SN - 1613-6810
VL - 13
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Small
JF - Small
IS - 31
M1 - 1700876
ER -