Valency Control and Functional Synergy in DNA‐Bonded Nanomolecules

Abstract The rapid development of DNA nanotechnology has enabled a precise organization of nanoscale matter with ultimate structural programmability. In particular, DNA‐bonded discrete nanoparticle assemblies (“nanomolecules”) have the potential to allow sophisticated functional realizations of inorganic nanomaterials via molecule‐like structural controls. Such an ambitious goal may gradually become achievable, encouraged by recent advancements in related fields. Two key issues must first be solved in order to realize such a goal: valency control over DNA bonding and strong coupling among DNA‐bonded functional units. The former allows a directional bonding of a nanoparticle to a defined number of partners, and the latter confers a functional synergy among self‐assembled materials to meet specific applications. This review introduces recent methodological breakthroughs to address the above issues, and discusses the short‐ and long‐term bottlenecks in the pursuit of nanoparticle “molecules” with highly engineered structures and functions.