Metallization of double-stranded DNA triggered by bound galactose-modified naphthalene diimide

Naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives bearing galactose moieties through different spacers, NDI-DS1 and NDI-DS2, were synthesized by the click reaction of the acetylene derivatives of NDI with galactose azide. They bound to double-stranded DNA with threading intercalation, as confirmed by the topoisomerase I assay and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The binding affinities of these ligands were on the order of 10(5) M(-1) with several-fold higher affinity for double-stranded DNA than for single-stranded DNA. The silver mirror reaction on the double-stranded DNA bound to these ligands afforded silver nanowires that were converted to gold nanowires. In the atomic force microscopy measurements, the increased height of DNA areas on a mica plate was observed in the case of double-stranded DNA after NDI-DS2 treatment and subsequently silver mirror reaction, whereas the increased height of DNA areas was not observed in the case of single-stranded DNA after the same treatment.