Dye crosslink

Abstract

DNA has been employed to template dyes into controllable networks of dyes. However, dye-DNA constructs involving covalent tethering often suffer from the lack of structural rigidity due to DNA structural effects (e.g., DNA breathing). Moreover, attachment of a dye to DNA might result in more pronounced structural effects and loss of DNA structural integrity. Employing a dye as a nucleic acid crosslink will reduce deficiencies in DNA structural integrity by creating more rigid, stable, and robust dye-DNA networks while retaining the photophysical benefits of the desired dyes. The utilization of dye crosslinks offers a controllable spacing and orientation of dyes leading to a greater variety in the design of DNA-templated dye networks. Tetrapyrrole type dyes are of a particular interest. A notable chemical diversity of synthetic photo- and chemically stable tetrapyrroles with a variable substitution pattern allows fine-tuning of their chemical and photophysical properties within DNA-templated dye network.