Determination of the crystal structure of a DNA-stabilized silver nanocluster

Nanoclusters are little "heaps" of a few atoms that often have interesting optical properties and could become useful probes for imaging processes in areas such as biomedicine and diagnostics. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, researchers have introduced a nanocluster of 16 silver atoms stabilized by a wrapping of DNA strands. Using X-ray analysis, they were able to determine the crystal structure and identify important interactions within it.