DNA: Metal double helix: Single-stranded DNA as supramolecular template for highly organized palladium nanowires

Nanowires are vital components for future nanoelectronics, sensors, and nanomedicine. To achieve the required complexity, it is necessary to control the position and growth of the metal chains on an atomic level. A research team has introduced a novel approach that generates precisely controlled, helical, palladium-DNA systems that mimic the organization of natural base pairs in a double-stranded DNA molecule.