High-endurance mechanical switching in a DNA origami snap-through mechanism

Florian Rothfischer; Lennart J. K. Weiß; Niccolò Tedeschi; Michael Matthies; Matthias Vogt; Christoph Karfusehr; Alexander Hebel; Petr Šulc; Tim Liedl; Enzo Kopperger; Friedrich C. Simmel

arXiv · 2505.10544

High-endurance mechanical switching in a DNA origami snap-through mechanism

Florian Rothfischer·Lennart J. K. Weiß·Niccolò Tedeschi·Michael Matthies·Matthias Vogt·Christoph Karfusehr·Alexander Hebel·Petr Šulc·Tim Liedl·Enzo Kopperger·Friedrich C. Simmel

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Abstract

Switchable elements are key components of dynamic technological and biological systems, enabling reversible transitions between well-defined states. Here, we present a DNA origami-based, mechanically bistable snap-through mechanism that can be electrically controlled. This nanoscale switch exhibits long-term stability in both states in the absence of external stimuli, while achieving millisecond-scale switching times upon application of an electric field. Individual devices sustain hundreds of thousands of switching cycles over several hours, offering a powerful platform for systematically studying the endurance and failure mechanisms of biomolecular nanoswitches. Functionalization with a gold nanorod further allows polarization-dependent optical modulation, opening avenues for applications in plasmonics. This versatile electromechanical interface has potential uses in molecular information processing, optical nanodevices, and the dynamic control of chemical reactions.

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Florian Rothfischer, Lennart J. K. Weiß, Niccolò Tedeschi, Michael Matthies, Matthias Vogt, Christoph Karfusehr, Alexander Hebel, Petr Šulc, Tim Liedl, Enzo Kopperger, Friedrich C. Simmel. 2025-05-15. High-endurance mechanical switching in a DNA origami snap-through mechanism. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.10544

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