IBM Patents DNA/Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Complexes, Sonification Key

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, Armonk, NY) scientist Jennifer Nam Cha reveals a structure and method for forming single-stranded DNA segments/single-wall carbon nanotube complexes and a method of preparing single-stranded DNA segments in U.S. Patent 7,625,702. The method for forming single-stranded DNA segments/single-wall carbon nanotube complexes includes: attaching single-stranded DNA segments to single-wall carbon nanotubes to form single-stranded DNA segment/single-wall carbon nanotube complexes, each of the single-stranded DNA segments having a same length of greater than 2,000 bases.

To form single-stranded DNA segment/single-wall carbon nanotube complexes (ssDNA/SWNT), ssDNA-1seq solutions are mixed with SWNTs and sonicated (energy supplied by sound waves) at low temperatures to prevent overheating (in one example, about 4.degree. C.) which are kept in solution by the ssNDA-1seq while un-complexed SWNT will not remain suspended and can be removed by centrifuging. In one example, about 90% of the SWNTs are complexed.

FIG. 3B is a photograph of a low magnification atomic force microscope scan of ssDNA/SWNT prepared bound to mica.

In FIG. 3B, the photograph on the left is a large area height AFM scan of ssDNA bound to SWCTs on mica. The photograph on the right is a close-up of large area scan on the left.

FIG. 2A is a photograph of a gel electrophoresis analysis of the thiolated lambda DNA PCR amplification procedure just described. In FIG. 2A, the column labeled "MW" includes molecular weight markers; the column labeled ".lamda.DNA" includes starting lambda DNA only; the column labeled "control" includes the products of a PCR using primer 1 and primer 2 only, and the column labeled "PCR" includes the result of the primers and lambda DNA PCR reaction. 

FIG. 2B is photograph of a gel electrophoresis analysis of a gold/double-stranded DNA preparation procedure