DNA-based assemblies with bischromophoric styryl dye-chromene conjugates and cucurbit[7]uril

Area of Science:

• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Molecular Recognition
• Biophysical Chemistry

Background:

• Organic dyes and macrocycles are key components in supramolecular chemistry.
• Understanding host-guest interactions is crucial for developing new materials.
• DNA-protein interactions are fundamental to biological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel conjugates of 4-styrylpyridinium dye and 2,2-diphenyl-2H-chromene.
• To investigate the binding affinity of these conjugates to double-stranded DNA and cucurbit[7]uril.
• To elucidate the formation of supramolecular assemblies through molecular interactions.

Main Methods:

• Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy
• Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy
• MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Main Results:

• The synthesized conjugates exhibit dual binding sites, enabling interaction with both DNA and cucurbit[7]uril.
• Supramolecular assemblies are formed through the intercalation of the styrylpyridinium moiety into DNA base pairs.
• Cucurbit[7]uril binds to the alkyl chain of the conjugate, forming a ternary complex.

Conclusions:

• The novel conjugates effectively form supramolecular assemblies with DNA and cucurbit[7]uril.
• The study provides a foundation for designing molecules with controlled interactions for advanced applications.
• These findings contribute to the understanding of molecular recognition in complex biological and chemical systems.