DNA Self-Assembly for the Design of Advanced Functional Materials and Nanocomposites

DNA self-assembly has attracted a lot of attention over the last decades. The chemical versatility of oligonucleotides and the highly specific and reversible hybridization of two complementary strands have resulted in new ways to synthesize advanced functional materials. The manipulation of noble-metal nanoparticles at the nanoscale has been widely used for drug delivery, optics, catalysts, etc. However, the self-assembly of heterogeneous systems and other materials, such as metal oxides, remains largely unexplored, thus limiting the range of applications of DNA nanotechnologies. Here, we discuss the progress in DNA self-assembly of metal oxide nanoparticles applied to the synthesis of energetic nanocomposites for micropyrotechnics applications. We highlight the importance of DNA sequencing and experimental parameters for the functionalization and self-assembly of aluminum and copper oxide nanoparticles. The energetic performances of the resulting nanocomposites are assessed as a function of microstructure and self-assembly kinetics. Overall, the multi-scale characterization of DNA self-assembled energetic composites, from the molecular level to the macroscale, demonstrates the usefulness of DNA nanotechnologies for the synthesis of advanced functional materials.