Characterization of DNA–dye complexes on nanostructure arrays

The binding of dimethyldiazaperopyrenium dication with Calf Thymus DNA has been studied by atomic force and optical microscopy. We obtained bulk and single dye-intercalating DNA’s fluorescence lifetime decay curves and lifetime distributions. We placed the DNA–dye complexes into different sizes of nanostructures which were prepared on cover glasses using PDMS and UV-curing polyurethane materials. The correlation with dye-intercalating DNA complexes and patterns were observed by acquiring AFM images of nano- and micropatterned cover glasses and DNA–dye complexes. According to the size of channel width, DNA–dye complexes show multiformity. We acquired lifetime images and distributions of dye-intercalating DNA complexes coated on cover glasses using time-correlated confocal fluorescence microscope apparatus. We also obtained information of surface topology and 2D images of fluorescence lifetime at the same area in a continuous series.