Long-term structural and chemical stability of DNA in hydrated ionic liquids

There is much interest in the use of DNA as an advanced material.[1] For example, DNA has been discussed as the a??ultimatea?? material for molecular computing[2] and there is much effort directed towards investigating this application. Recently, DNA has also been employed in templated chemical synthesis, nanomachines, and biosensors.[3a??5] The use of DNA as a biomaterial from a variety of readily available sources has gained importance in recent years, especially for the surface treatment of implanted materials.[6] Since it is rich in phosphate groups it has a strong affinity for bone, and DNA has been modified for use as a bone-guiding scaffold by intercalating antibiotics between the stacked base pairs.[7] The water-insoluble form of DNAalso finds a range of other applications as a biomaterial.