Poly(thymine)‐Templated Selective Formation of Fluorescent Copper Nanoparticles

Fitting (nanoparticles) to a T: Single-stranded DNA poly T (blue, see scheme) was found to be a template for the formation of fluorescent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs, red spheres). The size and fluorescence of these CuNPs could be regulated by altering the length of poly T. Other ssDNAs (green) failed to act as a template for CuNPs and were used to create alternating metallized and non-metallized nanostructures.