Porphyrin-DNA: A Supramolecular Scaffold for Functional Molecules on the Nanometre Scale

Abstract

We are pursuing the aim to use DNA as a supramolecular scaffold for the creation of electronically functional molecules on the nanometre scale. Here, we give a review on our results on porphyrin modified nucleotides used for this purpose. A general synthetic route to porphyrin-nucleotides has been devised, and the building blocks can be incorporated into oligonucleotides using standard solid phase synthesis methods. Up to 11 porphyrins were incorporated into DNA, reaching a length of approximately 4 nm in the array. The spectroscopic data are consistent with a porphyrin induced secondary structure stabilisation in the single strands.

Keywords:

• Porphyrin nucleotides
• supramolecular scaffold
• nanomaterials

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant Nr. 200020-107703/1) and the University of Southampton. The TREUBEL-Fonds Basel is gratefully acknowledged for a fellowship to E.S.

Current address for Leslie-Anne Fendt: ETH Zürich, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, HCI G 322, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.

Current address for Sandra Thöni: Bachem AG, Hauptstrasse 144, 4416 Bubendorf, Switzerland.