DNA-templated fabrication of metal nanostructures with special shapes

Metal structures with special shapes at the length scales of electromagnetic waves, particularly visible light (∼10–7 m), hold great promise in the development of next-generation electronic/optical devices. However, downscaling the metal structure features to the sub-10 nm scale remains a challenge due to the resolution limitations inherent in conventional top-down microfabrication techniques. In recent years, DNA nanotechnology has garnered significant attention due to its capability to construct nanostructures with programmable shapes at the nanometer scale, which can serve as templates for the fabrication of metal nanostructures. Here, we review the development of DNA-templated metal nanostructures with unique shapes, focusing on their electronic and optical properties and applications. We discuss the advantages and limitations of these strategies and provide an outlook for this research area.