The controlled organization of individual molecules and nanostructures with nanoscale accuracy is of great importance in the investigation of single-molecule events in biological and chemical assays, as well as for the fabrication of the next generation optoelectronic devices. In this regard, the precise patterning of individual molecules into hierarchical structures has attracted substantial research interest in recent years. DNA has been shown to be an ideal structural material for this purpose, due to the specificity of its programmability and outstanding chemical flexibility. DNA origami can display a high degree of positional and precise binding sites, allowing for complex arrangements and the assembly of different nanoscale architectures. In this project, we present a novel platform based on the use of DNA scaffolds for the organization of individual nanomoieties (with nanoscale spatial control), and their selective immobilisation on surfaces for single-molecule investigations. In particular, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), fluorescence molecules, linear small peptides, and structural proteins were tethered with single-molecule accuracy on DNA origami; their subsequent organization in array configuration on nanopatterned surfaces allowed us to fabricate and test different platforms for single-molecule studies. In particular, we developed a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) nanofabrication strategy and demonstrated its general applicability for the assembly of functionalised DNA nanostructures in highly uniform nanoarrays, with single-molecule control. In addition, we further explored this nanofabricated platform for biological investigations at the single-molecule level, from protein-DNA interactions to cancer cell adhesion studies with single-molecule control. Investigations have been carried out via fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). By and large, combining the programming ability of DNA as a scaffolding material with a one-step lithographic process, we have developed a platform of general applicability for the fabrication of nanoscale chips that can be employed in a variety of single-molecule investigations.

Dans ce travail de thèse, nous avons d'abord développé deux études basées sur des unités dites ''stilbène rigide'' qui sont connues pour s'interconvertir de manière réversible entre deux formes trans et cis grâce à la lumière. La première étude correspond à des photocommutateurs chiraux à base d'hélicènes, l'autre à des complexes photocommutables alcynyles d'or(I). Ensuite, nous avons examiné la synthèse et la caractérisation de complexes de Dy(III) à base d'hélicène-bipyridine comme nouveaux types d'aimants moléculaires (SMM) chiraux et comparé la différence des propriétés magnétiques entre les SMM racémique et énantiopurs. Enfin, nous avons développé la première utilisation de la cycloaddition réversible d'hélicènes racémiques sur le [60]fullerène et de sa rétrocycloaddition ultérieure comme une stratégie alternative efficace pour le dédoublement énantiomérique d'un hélicène-carboxaldéhyde. / In this PhD work, we firstly developed two studies based on the so-called ''stiff stilbene'' units that are known to reversibly interconvert between two trans and cis forms through light. The first study corresponds to photoresponsive chiral switches based on helicenes, the other one to photoresponsive gold(I) complexes. Then, we dealt with the synthesis and characterization of helicene-bipyridine based Dy(III) complexes as novel kinds of chiral single molecule magnets (SMMs) and compared the difference of the magnetic properties between racemic and enantiopure SMMs. Finally, we developed the first use of the reversible sterodivergent cycloaddition of racemic helicenes onto [60]fullerene with its subsequent retro-cycloaddition as an efficient alternative strategy for the enantiomeric resolution of a helicene-carboxaldehyde.