Robert C. Mucic

Synthesis and characterization of DNA with ferrocenyl groups attached to their 5′-termini: electrochemical characterization of a redox-active nucleotide monolayer

A novel 5′-ferrocenyl and 3′-thiol modified nucleotide is used to prepare and characterize, for the first time, a redox-active nucleotide monolayer on Au.

Strategies for Organizing Nanoparticles into Aggregate Structures and Functional Materials

In this review, we focus on some of the most successful approaches to date for organizing nanoparticles into macroscopic aggregates and functional materials. The preparation and resulting properties of two- and three-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles are detailed, and some potential uses for these materials are discussed. Although many types of nanoparticles can be organized into such structures, this review focuses specifically on Au and CdE (E=S, Se) nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles are easily prepared, highly stable, well-studied, and excellent models for other metal colloids. CdE colloids are the most extensively studied semiconductor nanoparticles and hold much promise in the optoelectronics field.

Chemistry of Oligonucleotide-Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates

Conjugates prepared by immobilizing thiol-terminated oligonucleotides onto gold nanoparticles form stable colloidal solutions in aqueous media. The oligonucleotides can serve as linkers to organize the gold particles reversibly into three dimensional assemblies, and the gold particles can function as colorimetric reporters for hybridization of the bound oligomers with target oligonucleotides in solution.