How to get the most out of two phosphorus chemistries. Studies on H-phosphonates

The biological importance and practical significance of phosphate esters and their analogues have been the major driving forces for research in various areas of synthetic organic phosphorus chemistry. In this Account, the authors' studies on the development of a comprehensive H-phosphonate methodology and the underlying chemistry for the preparation of biologically important phosphate esters and their analogues are briefly discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of fluorenone-, anthraquinone-, and phenothiazine-labeled oligodeoxynucleotides: 5'-probes for DNA redox chemistry

A facile and automated procedure for the synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides possessing derivatives of 9-fluoreneone, 9,10-anthraquinone, and phenothiazine is described. The phosphoramidite approach is used to attach these redox and spectroscopic probes to the 5'-terminus of oligodeoxynucleotides in high yield (>95%). Thermal denaturation studies of labeled oligodeoxynucleotides show a slight enhancement in duplex stability relative to the unlabeled control, and circular dichroism spectra confirm B-form helical DNA structure in solution.

Solid-Phase Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of DNA Labeled at the Nucleobase with Ru(bpy)(2)(4-m-4'-pa-bpy)(2+)

A facile procedure for incorporating a Ru(diimine)(3)(2+) complex at the nucleobase in an oligonucleotide is reported that combines the advantages of Pd(0) cross-coupling and solid-phase DNA chemistries. These ruthenium-modified oligonucleotides form stable duplexes, and the favorable photophysical properties associated with the Ru(diimine)(3)(2+) complex are retained after site-specific covalent attachment.

Modified PNAs: a simple method for the synthesis of monomeric building blocks

The synthesis of PNA-monomers with variations in the substitution pattern using the Ugi-Reaction is described. The one-pot procedure leads to new totally protected PNA-monomers which can be selectively cleaved to N-protected monomeric building blocks for PNA synthesis.