Topological Assembly of a Deployable Hoberman Flight Ring from DNA

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 17; no. 11; pp. e2007069 - n/a
• Main Authors: Li, Ruixin, Chen, Haorong, Choi, Jong Hyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2021; Wiley
• Subjects: auxetic reconfiguration; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Bioengineering; Deoxyribonucleic acid; deployable nanostructures; DNA; DNA origami; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Planar structures; Reconfiguration; Rings (mathematics); self‐assembly; Topology; Triangles; self-assembly; DNA origami; auxetic reconfiguration; deployable nanostructures; topology
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202007069

Deployable geometries are finite auxetic structures that preserve their overall shapes during expansion and contraction. The topological behaviors emerge from intricately arranged elements and their connections. Despite the considerable utility of such configurations in nature and in engineering, deployable nanostructures have never been demonstrated. Here a deployable flight ring, a simplified planar structure of Hoberman sphere is shown, using DNA origami. The DNA flight ring consists of topologically assembled six triangles in two layers that can slide against each other, thereby switching between two distinct (open and closed) states. The origami topology is a trefoil knot, and its auxetic reconfiguration results in negative Poisson's ratios. This work shows the feasibility of deployable nanostructures, providing a versatile platform for topological studies and opening new opportunities for bioengineering. This work introduces the first deployable nanoscale geometry using DNA origami. This planar structure is inspired by Hoberman sphere and the topology is a trefoil knot. The DNA flight ring can switch between open and closed states, showing auxetic reconfiguration with negative Poisson's ratios.