Effective interactions of DNA-stars

Abstract

We put forward a model that allows the calculation of the effective potential of two interacting DNA-stars, i.e., three-armed, Y-shaped, charged macromolecules, built up by three intertwined single-stranded DNAs. These particles are assumed to float on a flat interface separating two media with different dielectric properties. As the only input, our model requires the charge density along the branches and the interaction between two infinitesimally short segments, along two interacting rods. With this effective interaction at hand, a detailed investigations of the self-assembly scenarios of these molecules either via computer simulations or via theoretical frameworks comes within reach.

Keywords:

• effective interactions
• DNA-stars

Acknowledgements

It is a great pleasure to dedicate this work to Jean-Pierre Hansen, who has made over decades seminal contributions to the liquid state theory and the soft matter theory. Christos N. Likos and Gerhard Kahl express their thankfulness to Jean-Pierre Hansen for many stimulating discussions, for numerous fruitful, scientific cooperations and, in particular, for many years of friendship. Gerhard Kahl acknowledges financial support by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under Project Nos. P23910-N16 and F41 – SFB ViCoM. Clara Abaurrea Velasco acknowledges helpful discussions with Marta Montes Saralegui (Wien).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Gerhard Kahl acknowledges financial support by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under project numbers [P23910-N16] and [F41] – SFB ViCoM.