Synthesis and application of DNA-CdS nanowires within a minute using microwave irradiation.

A very fast, electroless, microwave method is described to synthesize electrically conductive CdS nanowires on DNA just within 60 s. The electrical characterization indicates that the CdS wires are continuous, have very low contact resistance, and exhibit Ohmic behavior. Highly selective deposition on DNA is obtained by specific complexation between the Cd(II) ion and DNA, followed by decomposition of thioacetamide to S(2-) to form CdS. The nanowires are found to have a diameter of 140-170 nm and a length of approximately 8-12 microm. The one-step process developed here does not perturb the overall conformation of the DNA chain. The nanowires we fabricated can be used as building blocks for functional nanodevices, tiny computers, sensors, and optoelectronics.