Supramolecular Wireframe DNA Polyhedra: Assembly and Applications

Abstract

Wireframe, polyhedral, supramolecular complexes made of DNA have uniform sizes, defined three-dimensional shapes, porous facets, hollow interiors, good biocompatibilities, and chemical functionalizability. They confer great potentials in bottom-up nanoengineering towards various applications. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the rational design and programmed assembly of DNA wireframe polyhedra. Their assembly is based on three distinctively different strategies: individual strands-based assembly, tile-based assembly, and scaffolded DNA origami. Applications of these polyhedral structures in templated nanomaterial assembly and in-vivo cargo delivery are discussed. In the future, expanding the structural complexity and exploring their applications, especially in nanomaterials science and biomedicines, should be a primary focus of this rapidly developing and evolving activity of structural DNA nanotechnology.