Symmetry-Breaking Charge Separation in a Nanoscale Terrylenediimide Guanine-Quadruplex Assembly

Natalia E. Powers-Riggs, Xiaobing Zuo, Ryan M. Young, Michael R. Wasielewski*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Guanine-quadruplex (G-quadruplex) assemblies provide a useful platform for studying the spatial, structural, and photophysical effects of intermolecular interactions. Coupling a single guanine moiety to terrylenediimide (TDI)- A chromophore with a large extended π-surface-produces a structure (GTDI) that assembles in plate-like tetramers, with the potential of undergoing tunable π-stacking. At high concentrations (3 × 10-3 M), GTDI self-assembles into a nearly monodisperse G-quadruplex structure of 16 layers, with strong π-overlap between TDI moieties, observed by small- A nd wide-angle X-ray scattering. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that excitation of TDI in the G-quadruplex results in symmetry-breaking charge separation to form ion pairs within the structure, owing to the strong π-overlap enforced by the hydrogen-bonding. These assemblies yield important insights into the interplay of noncovalent interactions in the assembly of ordered chromophoric arrays.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)17512-17516
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume141
Issue number44
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 6 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Chemistry(all)
  • Biochemistry
  • Colloid and Surface Chemistry

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