Imparting anisotropic interactions to isotropic particles remains a key challenge in colloidal science. Although DNA functionalization enables programmable assembly, generating well-defined patches often requires complex and heterogeneous surface chemistries.
Here, we present a ligation-assisted approach to fabricate DNA-functionalized patchy colloids from uniform spherical particles. By combining sequential DNA hybridization with enzymatic ligation, distinct DNA functionalities are immobilized in spatially confined regions without the need for elaborate surface pre-patterning.
Confocal fluorescence microscopy confirms the formation and structural integrity of the resulting patches. We further demonstrate that the geometry of assembled colloidal clusters can be tuned by adjusting the core-to-shell particle size ratio. This approach offers a simplified route for introducing anisotropic DNA interactions into colloidal systems and may be useful for studying programmable self-assembly.