Enthalpy and entropy synergistic regulation–based programmable DNA motifs for biosensing and information encryption

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) provides a collection of intelligent tools for the development of information cryptography and biosensors. However, most conventional DNA regulation strategies rely solely on enthalpy regulation, which suffers from unpredictable stimuli-responsive performance and unsatisfactory accuracy due to relatively large energy fluctuations. Here, we report an enthalpy and entropy synergistic regulation–based pH-responsive A(+)/C DNA motif for programmable biosensing and information encryption. In the DNA motif, the variation in loop length alters entropic contribution, and the number of A(+)/C bases regulates enthalpy, which is verified through thermodynamic characterizations and analyses. On the basis of this straightforward strategy, the performances, such as pK(a), of the DNA motif can be precisely and predictably tuned. The DNA motifs are finally successfully applied for glucose biosensing and crypto-steganography systems, highlighting their potential in the field of biosensing and information encryption.