Fast and Ample Light Controlled Actuation of Monodisperse All?DNA Microgels

The assembly of adaptive hierarchical soft materials that resemble living tissues requires responsive building blocks controlled dimensions. While DNA self-assembly provides an exceptional tool for nanoscale architectural control, microstructures remain scarce. Here, two challenges controlling the size and embedding them with fast ample structural response are addressed. For size-control, arrested phase separation microfluidic confinement combined to produce monodisperse all-DNA particles. responsiveness, a light coil-globule transition microgel network powered by azobenzene cationic surfactant is implemented. photoinduced trans-cis isomerization moiety reduces its affinity which results in fast, large amplitudes swelling. Finally, superstructures demonstrated as proof-of-concept materials.