BACKGROUND: The outstanding specificity of the A-T and G-C Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonding interaction allows various DNA nanostructures to be created, which has increased interest in using DNA as a bio- or nano-material. DNA nanostructures have already been used for many applications as well as to create a platform for nanopatterning of a variety of function molecules. However, these structures can be used only at low temperature of Tm value or less in solution because they melt beyond this temperature. This paper reports the creation of a DNA array structure held by photocrosslinking mediated 3-cyanovinylcarbazole (K-CNV) which allows crosslinking by photoirradiation in a few seconds. RESULTS: The thermal stability of DNA nanostructures containing K-CNV were evaluated before and after 366nm UV-exposure by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the melting curve. When K-CNV was arranged in a suitable position into a 2D DNA array, its photocrosslinked structure was stable under denaturing conditions. The solution-state melting profile of the photocrosslinked DNA array was expanded to > 80 degrees C, which is at least a 40 degrees C increase and showed decreased hyperchromic effect when compared with a non-photocrosslinked structure. CONCLUSION: The method of creatingDNAstructures equipped with thermal resistance by ultrafast photocrosslinking reaction provides practical DNA nanodevices and enables the stepwise assembly of DNA structures. (C) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry