Polyvalent Spherical Nucleic Acids for Universal Display of Functional DNA with Ultrahigh Stability

For nanomaterials that are difficult to functionalize by covalent attachment of DNA, we herein communicate a general method taking advantage of the high avidity of polyvalent binding and the 3D structure of densely functionalized spherical nucleic acids (SNAs). Using DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles, simple mixing leads to the formation of highly stable conjugates on 11 different materials including metals, metal oxides, metal–organic frameworks, transition-metal dichalcogenides, nanocarbons, and polymers. The adsorption affinity of SNAs can be over thousand-fold higher than that of free DNA of the same sequence, and practically irreversible conjugates are formed withstanding various denaturing agents. The surface attachment and molecular recognition functions of DNA are spatially separated, showing a key advantage of SNAs. The functionalized materials possess the properties of both the substrate and the SNA, allowing specific DNA hybridization in buffer and in serum.