Coupling Reversible Clustering of DNA-Coated Gold Nanoparticles with Chemothermal Cycloaddition Reaction

Stimuli-responsive, optically-active colloidal systems are convenient signal transducers capable of monitoring environmental changes at the nanoscale. We report on the coupling of chemo-thermal cycloaddition reaction with temperature-sensitive, DNA-coated gold nanoparticles. We found that the concentration of chemical fuel, dictating the temperature of the mixture, is a primary ingredient in controlling the extent of the reversible clustering of gold nanoparticles. Our results show that rational coupling of chemical and colloidal systems can open up new possibilities in tracking the change of local temperature using aggregation/redispersion of nanoparticles.