Self Assembly of Helical Cyanine Dye Aggregates on Nucleic Acid Templates

该项目将探索菁染料在核酸纳米模板上的可控聚集。最终结果是花菁二聚体的手性螺旋聚集体的自发组装。聚集体的尺寸通过改变DNA的长度来控制。聚集体的性质将使用各种光谱技术来研究，包括UV-Vis吸收、圆二色谱和荧光方法，以及停流光谱。合作努力将探索这些聚集体的X射线结晶学研究的可能性，以及对菁染料之间电子相互作用的理论处理。通过这一奖项，有机和高分子化学计划的有机合成计划支持卡内基梅隆大学的布鲁斯·A·阿米蒂奇教授的研究。阿米蒂奇教授将研究某些染料分子的性质，以便在由DNA螺旋组成的模板上组装。这样组装起来，这些聚集体本身就可以作为模板来产生复杂的结构，这些结构保留了最初由DNA赋予的一些特征。我们将研究这些组件的性质，以及它们的形成动力学。

This project will explore the controlled aggregation of cyanine dyes on nucleic acid nanotemplates. The end result is the spontaneous assembly of chiral, helical aggregates of cyanine dimers. The dimensions of the aggregate are controlled by varying the length of the DNA. The properties of the aggregates will be studied using a variety of spectroscopic techniques, including UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism and fluorescence methods, and by stopped flow spectroscopy. Collaborative efforts will explore the possibilities of X-ray crystallographic studies of these aggregates, as well as a theoretical treatment of the electronic interactions among the cyanine dyes.With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program's Organic Synthesis Program supports the research of Professor Bruce A. Armitage of Carnegie Mellon University. Professor Armitage will investigate the properties of certain dye molecules to assemble on a template consisting of the DNA helix. Thus assembled, these aggregates can themselves serve as the template for the generation of complex structures that retain some of the characteristics initially imparted by the DNA. The properties of these assemblies will be studied as will the dynamics of their formation.