DNA-driven dynamic assembly of MoS nanosheets

Controlling the assembly of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) layers into static and dynamic superstructures can impact on their use in optoelectronics, energy, and drug delivery. Toward this goal, we present a strategy to drive the assembly of MoS 2 layers via the hybridization of complementary DNA linkers. By functionalizing the MoS 2 surface with thiolated DNA, MoS 2 nanosheets were assembled into mulitlayered superstructures, and the complementary DNA strands were used as linkers. A disassembly process was triggered by the formation of an intramolecular i-motif structure at a cystosine-rich sequence in the DNA linker at acidic pH values. We tested the versatility of our approach by driving the disassembly of the MoS 2 superstructures through a different DNA-based mechanism, namely strand displacement. This study demonstrates how DNA can be employed to drive the static and dynamic assembly of MoS 2 nanosheets in aqueous solution. We demonstrate a strategy to drive the assembly of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets and their disassembly in response to different stimuli.