Work

Patchy Supramolecules as Versatile Tools To Probe Hydrophobicity in Nanoglobular Systems

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: We describe precise supramolecules that enable the evaluation of the effective hydrophobicity of amphiphilic or "patchy" nanoglobular systems. These supramolecules exhibit the lower critical solution temperature phenomenon, which provides a quantitative measure of their effective hydrophobicity. Specifically, two isomeric 8-aryl-2'-deoxyguanosine derivatives with a transposed pair of methylene groups self-assemble into hexadecameric nanoglobular supramolecular G-quadruplexes (SGQs) that show large differences in their transition temperatures as determined by turbidity and differential scanning calorimetry studies. Molecular modeling studies suggested that differential clustering of the hydrophobic patches on the surface is responsible for the striking differences between the two isomeric supramolecules.

Source: Journal of the American Chemical Society

DOI: 10.1021/ja401373h

Authors: Luis M. Negrón, Yazmary Meléndez-Contés, José M. Rivera

Institutions: University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, University of Puerto Rico System

Language: English

Topic: Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Small Molecule Self-Assembly in Aqueos Media, MAXIMIZING THE QUALITY OF FUTURE GRADUATE STUDIES FOR UPR-RIO PIEDRAS MARC U*STAR TRAINEES, Support for University Biomedical Excellence at UPR-RP