Chiral multichromophoric supramolecular nanostructures assembled by single stranded DNA and RNA templates

Selective Formation of Pd-DNA Hybrids Using Tailored Palladium-Mediated Base Pairs: Towards Heteroleptic Pd-DNA Systems

The formation of highly organized metal-DNA structures has significant implications in bioinorganic chemistry, molecular biology and material science due to their unique properties and potential applications. In this study, we report on the conversion of single-stranded polydeoxycytidine (dC15 ) into a Pd-DNA supramolecular structure using the [Pd(Aqa)] complex (Aqa=8-amino-4-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid) through a self-assembly process. The resulting Pd-DNA assembly closely resembles a natural double helix, with continuous [Pd(Aqa)(C)] (C=cytosine) units serving as palladium-mediated base pairs, forming interbase hydrogen bonds and intrastrand stacking interactions. Notably, the design of the [Pd(Aqa)] complex favours the interaction with cytosine, distinguishing it from our previously reported [Pd(Cheld)] complex (Cheld=chelidamic acid). This finding opens possibilities for creating heteroleptic Pd-DNA hybrids where different complexes specifically bind to nucleobases. We confirmed the Pd-DNA supramolecular structural assembly and selective binding of the complexes using NMR spectroscopy, circular dichroism, mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry, and DFT calculations.

Chiral Confined Unimolecular Micelles for Controlled In Situ Fabrication of Optically Active Hybrid Nanostructures

Functional nanomaterials made by chiral induction have attracted extensive attention because of their intriguing characteristics and potential applications. However, the precise and controllable fabrication of chiral nanomaterials still remains challenging but is highly desired. In this study, chiral unimolecular micelles with different molecular weights and chiroptical activities were prepared by photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP). Through nanoconfined growth, the chiral plasmonic nanoparticle assemblies with predesigned size and morphology were prepared using chiral unimolecular micelles as nanoreactors. The controllability over chiral assemblies and the size effect on chiroptical properties were also investigated. Furthermore, chiral complexes with absorption asymmetry and circularly polarized luminescence (glum = 4.25 × 10-4) were easily constructed via mixing of organic fluorescent molecules and chiral templates based on intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Such results indicated that our unimolecular-micelle-based templates enable the controllable preparation of both inorganic and organic chiral nanostructures with tailored dimensions, sizes, compositions, and optical activities.

A cooperation tale of biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chiral sensing and separation

The cooperative relationship between biomolecules and nanomaterials makes up a beautiful tale about nanoscale chiral sensing and separation. Biomolecules are considered a fabulous chirality 'donor' to develop chiral sensors and separation systems. Nature has endowed biomolecules with mysterious chirality. Various nanomaterials with specific physicochemical attributes can realize the transmission and amplification of this chirality. We focus on highlighting the advantages of combining biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chirality. To enhance the sensors' detection sensitivity, novel cooperation approaches between nanomaterials and biomolecules have attracted tremendous attention. Moreover, innovative biomolecule-based nanocomposites possess great importance in developing chiral separation systems with improved assay performance. This review describes the formation of a network based on nanomaterials and biomolecules mainly including DNA, proteins, peptides, amino acids, and polysaccharides. We hope this tale will record the perpetual relation between biomolecules and nanomaterials in nanoscale chirality.

Nucleic-Acid-Templated Synthesis of Smart Polymer Vectors for Gene Delivery

Nucleic acids are information-rich and readily available biomolecules, which can be used to template the polymerization of synthetic macromolecules. Here, we highlight the control over the size, composition, and sequence one can nowadays obtain by using this methodology. We also highlight how templated processes exploiting dynamic covalent polymerization can, in return, result in therapeutic nucleic acids fabricating their own dynamic delivery vector - a biomimicking concept that can provide original solutions for gene therapies.

Homo- and heterometallic chiral dynamic architectures from allyl-palladium(II) building blocks

New chiral tetranuclear square-like homo- and heterometallamacrocycles containing allyl-palladium and either {Pd(P-P)*} or {Pt(P-P)*} optically pure moieties (P-P* = (2S,3S)-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane ((S,S)-DIOP) and (2S,4S)-2,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)pentane ((S,S)-BDPP)) have been obtained by the self-assembly of [Pd(η³-2-Me-C₃H₄)(4-PPh₂py)₂]⁺ and [M(P-P)*(H₂O)₂]²⁺ building blocks in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. The supramolecular assemblies thus prepared [{Pd(η³-2-Me-C₃H₄)}₂(4-PPh₂py)₄{M(P-P)*}₂](CF₃SO₃)₆ (M = Pd, Pt) have been fully characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and MS spectrometry. The structures display remarkable differences on their dynamic behaviour in solution that depend on the lability and thermodynamic strength of M-py bonds. The structural characteristics of the new metallamacrocyles obtained have also been unambiguously established by XRD analysis. The architectures have been assayed as catalytic precursors in the asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction.

Biofunctionality with a twist: the importance of molecular organisation, handedness and configuration in synthetic biomaterial design

The building blocks of life - nucleotides, amino acids and saccharides - give rise to a large variety of components and make up the hierarchical structures found in Nature. Driven by chirality and non-covalent interactions, helical and highly organised structures are formed and the way in which they fold correlates with specific recognition and hence function. A great amount of effort is being put into mimicking these highly specialised biosystems as biomaterials for biomedical applications, ranging from drug discovery to regenerative medicine. However, as well as lacking the complexity found in Nature, their bio-activity is sometimes low and hierarchical ordering is missing or underdeveloped. Moreover, small differences in folding in natural biomolecules (e.g., caused by mutations) can have a catastrophic effect on the function they perform. In order to develop biomaterials that are more efficient in interacting with biomolecules, such as proteins, DNA and cells, we speculate that incorporating order and handedness into biomaterial design is necessary. In this review, we first focus on order and handedness found in Nature in peptides, nucleotides and saccharides, followed by selected examples of synthetic biomimetic systems based on these components that aim to capture some aspects of these ordered features. Computational simulations are very helpful in predicting atomic orientation and molecular organisation, and can provide invaluable information on how to further improve on biomaterial designs. In the last part of the review, a critical perspective is provided along with considerations that can be implemented in next-generation biomaterial designs.

G-quadruplex apurinic site-programmed chiral cyanine assemblies for specifically recognizing guanosine and guanine

DNA-tuned dye assemblies have received considerable attention toward developing various devices. Owing to easy conformation implementation, G-quadruplexes (G4s) have been extensively used as initiators to grow dye assemblies with controllable chiralities. However, programmed chirality regulation of dye assemblies for a given G4 sequence has not been realized in a straightforward manner. In this work, we replaced a middle guanine in the G-tracts of a human telomeric G4 with an apurinic site (AP site) to meet the programmed dye assemblies. Although all of the AP site replacements altered the G4 conformation from the hybrid to the antiparallel folding, the handedness of pinacyanol (PIN) assemblies grown on the AP site-containing G4 was programmably regulated. The G4 with the AP site at the 5'-most G-tract grew right-handed assemblies, while that with the AP site at the 3'-most G-tract grew left-handed assemblies. The handedness of assemblies almost totally mirrored each other within 450-700 nm. Interestingly, we found that the AP site provided a specific binding site for guanosine and guanine, and this binding event sensitively broke the chiral assemblies. Thus, dye assembly-based sensors can be easily established based on the chiral responses with a high selectivity and sensitivity. Our work first demonstrates the AP site programmed chirality regulation of G4-grown dye assemblies and will find wide application in chiral devices.

Structural and Photophysical Templating of Conjugated Polyelectrolytes with Single-Stranded DNA

A promising approach to influence and control the photophysical properties of conjugated polymers is directing their molecular conformation by templating. We explore here the templating effect of single-stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNAs) on cationic polythiophenes with the goal to uncover the intermolecular interactions that direct the polymer backbone conformation. We have comprehensively characterized the optical behavior and structure of the polythiophenes in conformationally distinct complexes depending on the sequence of nucleic bases and addressed the effect on the ultrafast excited-state relaxation. This, in combination with molecular dynamics simulations, allowed us a detailed atomistic-level understanding of the structure-property correlations. We find that electrostatic and other noncovalent interactions direct the assembly with the polymer, and we identify that optimal templating is achieved with (ideally 10-20) consecutive cytosine bases through numerous π-stacking interactions with the thiophene rings and side groups of the polymer, leading to a rigid assembly with ssDNA, with highly ordered chains and unique optical signatures. Our insights are an important step forward in an effective approach to structural templating and optoelectronic control of conjugated polymers and organic materials in general.

From Interaction to Function in DNA-Templated Supramolecular Self-Assemblies

DNA-templated self-assembly represents a rich and growing subset of supramolecular chemistry where functional self-assemblies are programmed in a versatile manner using nucleic acids as readily-available and readily-tunable templates. In this review, we summarize the different DNA recognition modes and the basic supramolecular interactions at play in this context. We discuss the recent results that report the DNA-templated self-assembly of small molecules into complex yet precise nanoarrays, going from 1D to 3D architectures. Finally, we show their emerging functions as photonic/electronic nanowires, sensors, gene delivery vectors, and supramolecular catalysts, and their growing applications in a wide range of area from materials to biological sciences.

Stereospecific interactions between chiral inorganic nanomaterials and biological systems

Chirality is ubiquitous in nature and plays mysterious and essential roles in maintaining key biological and physiological processes.

Self-Assembled Porphyrazine Nucleosides on DNA Templates: Highly Fluorescent Chromophore Arrays and Sizing Forensic Tandem Repeat Sequences

The formation of chromophore arrays using a DNA templating approach leads to the creation of supramolecular assemblies, where the optical properties of the overall system can be fine-tuned to a large extent. In particular, porphyrin derivatives have been shown to be versatile building blocks; mostly covalent chemistry was used for embedding the units into DNA strands. Self-assembly of porphyrin modified nucleosides, on the other hand, has not been investigated as a simplified approach. We report on the synthesis of a magnesium(II) tetraaza porphine (MgTAP) coupled to deoxyuridine, and array formation on DNA templates which contain well-defined oligo(dA) segments showing strong fluorescence enhancement which is significantly larger than that with a Zn-porphyrin. The use of the deep-eutectic solvent glycholine is essential for successful assembly formation. The system allows for sizing of short tandem repeat markers with multiple adenosines, thus the concept could be adaptable to in vitro forensic DNA profiling with a suitable set of different chromophores on all nucleosides.