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Freely-Speaking: Quick note on bio-based antennaes

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With my thesis defense coming up this Monday, I really did not have as much time to share all the interesting things I came across lately. But I did not want to miss the chance to make a quick note to myself and the readers of this site of an interesting paper, titled "DNA-based programming of quantum dot valency, self-assembly and luminescence" just published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Grigory Tikhomirov et al. report

"the self-assembly of quantum dot complexes using cadmium telluride nanocrystals capped with specific sequences of DNA. Quantum dots with between one and five DNA-based binding sites are synthesized and then used as building blocks to create a variety of rationally designed assemblies, including cross-shaped complexes containing three different types of dots...Through changes in pH, the conformation of the complexes can also be reversibly switched, turning on and off the transfer of energy between the constituent quantum dots."
In other words, what they have created are tunable bio-based antennaes which could be used for more efficient usage of the available light spectrum in future solar panel designs as another blog at IEEE noted. Cool technology!
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  1. miso-hungryJuly 20, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    Thesis defense on Monday! Best wishes!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. sop-on-a-ropeJuly 20, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    Is this related to that speaker that came to USC a couple years back that talked about luminescent bugs? sounds a bit different, but still interesting! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anthony LeJuly 20, 2011 at 11:56 PM

    Actually, the thesis defense already happened this past Monday. And I passed!

    And Sopa, the paper is not related to the bioluminescence talk if you are thinking of the same talk I am thinking of. You may be thinking of the bacterial esparanto talk that had bacteria illumines upon a certain quorum sensing threshold.

    This paper talks about designing quantum dots with interfaces that can self-assemble with specially designed DNA pieces. These DNA pieces can act as sort of tunable antennae, basically collecting light from a larger area and with variable frequency (depending on the design of the DNA piece), and redirecting it to the quantum dot.

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