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C. Jochum, N. Adzić, G. Kahl, C. N. Likos:
"Investigating DNA-based dendrimers: theory (and experiment)";
Talk: Vienna Theory Lunch Club Seminar, Wien; 2018-10-30.

In this talk, I'm going to present some aspects of my research on DNA-based dendrimers [1]. These charged dendrimers, which are synthesized via enzymatic ligation of Y-shaped DNA building blocks [2], hold high promise in bringing about targeted self-assembly of soft-matter systems in the bulk and at interfaces [3]. A coarse-grained bead-spring model is employed and Molecular Dynamics simulations are performed in order to determine conformational characteristics of these all-DNA dendrimers. The obtained results are compared to dynamic and static light scattering experiments. Furthermore, the influence of salt concentration on the structural properties in equilibrium is analyzed. Finally, effective potentials between the dendrimers are calculated using a theoretical approach based on the Widom particle-insertion method [4].

[1] C. Jochum, N. Adzić, E. Stiakakis, T. L. Derrien, D. Luo, G. Kahl, and C. N. Likos, Nanoscale (advance article), (2018)
[2] Y. Li, Y. Tseng, and D. Luo, Nat. Mater. 3, 38, (2004)
[3] B. Mladek, M. Neumann, G. Kahl, and C. Likos, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 045701, (2006)
[4] B. Mladek and D. Frenkel, Soft Matter, 7, 1450, (2011)

Project Head Gerhard Kahl:
DFS