The nonlinear optical technique, second harmonic generation (SHG), is applied here for the first time to probe single and double strand DNA (ssDNA and dsDNA) chemically attached to fused quartz/water interfaces. DNA interfaces are often a critical functional component of biodetection, thus, the development of molecular biosensors requires a thorough...
The rational and deliberate assembly of functional materials from nanoscale building blocks requires a fundamental understanding of interactions between individual components as well as their collective behavior. This thesis investigates the hierarchical organization of nanoparticles using DNA into well-defined three-dimensional materials on the micrometer and millimeter length scales. This assembly...
Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are a class of structures composed of spherical nanoparticle cores that are densely functionalized with radially oriented, linear DNA. SNAs exhibit properties that are distinct from those of their linear counterparts. These constructs can readily enter cells, evade nuclease degradation, and bind complementary DNA targets with...
Systems of colloids coated with high-information polymers are powerful tools for designing crystal lattice with tailorable properties or studying the fundamentals of crystallization. By changing the colloid-colloid interaction strength or colloid shape, different types of lattices can be assembled. In this thesis, I present novel coarse-grained models to describe high-information...
Nano-scale materials possess many unique physical and chemical properties which are not found in bulk materials. The ability to synthesize these materials by design is one of the greatest challenges in materials science. Advances towards meeting this challenge will lead to discoveries in fields such as plasmonics, photonics, catalysis, and...