Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 2574081

Encoding hierarchical 3D architecture through inverse design of programmable bonds

Kahn, Jason S. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)] (ORCID:0000000263301703)·Minevich, Brian [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)]·Michelson, Aaron [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN); Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000330603788)·Emamy, Hamed [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000250785569)·Wu, Jiahao [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0009000957574797)·Ji, Huajian [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)]·Yun, Alexia [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)]·Kisslinger, Kim [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)]·Xiang, Shuting [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)]·Yu, Nanfang [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000294624724)·Kumar, Sanat K. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000266902221)·Gang, Oleg [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN); Institute for Basic Science, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000155343121)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The ability to fabricate materials and devices at small scales by design has resulted in tremendous technological progress. However, the need for engineered three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale materials requires new strategies for organizing nanocomponents. Here we demonstrate an inverse design approach for the assembly of nanoparticles into hierarchically ordered 3D organizations using DNA voxels with directional, addressable bonds. By identifying intrinsic symmetries in repeating mesoscale structural motifs, we prescribe a set of voxels, termed a mesovoxel, that are assembled into target 3D crystals. The relationship between different degrees of encoded information used for voxel bonds and the fidelity of assembly is investigated using experimental and computational methods. We apply this assembly strategy to create periodic 3D nanoparticle ordered organizations, including structures with low-dimensional elements, helical motifs, a nanoscale analogue of a face-centred perovskite crystal and a distributed Bragg reflector based on a crystal with plasmonic and photonic length-scale regimes.

Explore related subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Kahn, Jason S. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)] (ORCID:0000000263301703), Minevich, Brian [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)], Michelson, Aaron [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN); Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000330603788), Emamy, Hamed [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000250785569), Wu, Jiahao [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0009000957574797), Ji, Huajian [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)], Yun, Alexia [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)], Kisslinger, Kim [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)], Xiang, Shuting [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)], Yu, Nanfang [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000294624724), Kumar, Sanat K. [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)] (ORCID:0000000266902221), Gang, Oleg [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN); Institute for Basic Science, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (ORCID:0000000155343121). 2025-07-09. Encoding hierarchical 3D architecture through inverse design of programmable bonds. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02263-1

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗