Conception and Evaluation of a Library of Cleavable Mass Tags for Digital Polymers Sequencing.

A library of phosphoramidite monomers containing a main-chain cleavable alkoxyamine and a side-chain substituent of variable molar mass (i.e. mass tag) was prepared in this work.

Chain Entropy Beats Hydrogen Bonds to Unfold and Thread Dialcohol Phosphates inside Cyanostar Macrocycles To Form [3]Pseudorotaxanes.

The recognition of substituted phosphates underpins many processes including DNA binding, enantioselective catalysis, and recently template-directed rotaxane synthesis. Beyond ATP and a few commercial substrates, however, little is known about how substituents effect organophosphate recognition. Here, we examined alcohol substituents and their impact on recognition by cyanostar macrocycles.

Aerolysin nanopores decode digital information stored in tailored macromolecular analytes.

Digital data storage is a growing need for our society and finding alternative solutions than those based on silicon or magnetic tapes is a challenge in the era of "big data." The recent development of polymers that can store information at the molecular level has opened up new opportunities for ultrahigh density data storage, long-term archival, anticounterfeiting systems, and molecular cryptography. However, synthetic informational polymers are so far only deciphered by tandem mass spectrometry.

Precise Alkoxyamine Design to Enable Automated Tandem Mass Spectrometry Sequencing of Digital Poly(phosphodiester)s.

A major step towards reliable reading of information coded in the sequence of long poly(phosphodiester)s was previously achieved by introducing an alkoxyamine spacer between information sub-segments. However, MS/MS decoding had to be performed manually to safely identify useful fragments of low abundance compared to side-products from the amide-based alkoxyamine used. Here, alternative alkoxyamines were designed to prevent side-reactions and enable automated MS/MS sequencing.

Photo-editable macromolecular information.

Light-induced alteration of macromolecular information plays a central role in biology and is known to influence health, aging and Darwinian evolution. Here, we report that light can also trigger sequence variations in abiotic information-containing polymers. Sequence-coded poly(phosphodiester)s were synthesized using four phosphoramidite monomers containing either photo-sensitive or photo-inert substituents.

Revealing Data Encrypted in Sequence-Controlled Poly(Alkoxyamine Phosphodiester)s by Combining Ion Mobility with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The defined sequence of two comonomers in sequence-controlled macromolecules can be used to store binary information which is further decoded by MS/MS sequencing. In order to achieve the full sequence coverage requested for reliable decoding, the structure of these polymers can be optimized to minimize their dissociation extent, as shown for poly(alkoxyamine phosphodiester)s (PAPs) where weak alkoxyamine bonds were introduced in each repeating unit to make all phosphate groups MS/MS silent. However, for secret communications, a too high MS/MS readability could be a drawback.

Translocation of Precision Polymers through Biological Nanopores.

Nanopore analysis, which is, currently, chiefly used for DNA sequencing, is also an appealing technique for characterizing abiotic polymers. As a first step toward this goal, nanopore detection of non-natural monodispersed poly(phosphodiester)s as candidate backbone structures is reported herein. Two model homopolymers containing phosphopropyl repeat units (i.

Mass spectrometry sequencing of long digital polymers facilitated by programmed inter-byte fragmentation.

In the context of data storage miniaturization, it was recently shown that digital information can be stored in the monomer sequences of non-natural macromolecules. However, the sequencing of such digital polymers is currently limited to short chains. Here, we report that intact multi-byte digital polymers can be sequenced in a moderate resolution mass spectrometer and that full sequence coverage can be attained without requiring pre-analysis digestion or the help of sequence databases.

A Simple Post-Polymerization Modification Method for Controlling Side-Chain Information in Digital Polymers.

A three-step post-polymerization modification method was developed for the design of digitally encoded poly(phosphodiester)s with controllable side groups. Sequence-defined precursors were synthesized, either manually on polystyrene resins or automatically on controlled pore glass supports, using two phosphoramidite monomers containing either terminal alkynes or triisopropylsilyl (TIPS) protected alkyne side groups. Afterwards, these polymers were modified by stepwise copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC).

Hybrid Fibrillar Xerogels with Unusual Magnetic Properties.

We report on the preparation of a hybrid nanomaterial made up of 1D filaments of an antiferromagnetic self-assembling bicopper complex encapsulated in polymer nanofibrils. The encapsulation process is achieved through the heterogeneous nucleation of the growth of polymer fibrils obtained by thermoreversible gelation as shown by calorimetry experiments. Neutron scattering experiments confirm that the filaments of a bicopper complex retain their 1D character after encapsulation in the fibrils.

Orthogonal Synthesis of Xeno Nucleic Acids.

Sequence-defined peptide triazole nucleic acids (PTzNA) were synthesized by means of a solid-phase orthogonal "AB+CD" iterative strategy. In this approach, AB and CD building blocks containing carboxylic acid (A), azide (B), alkyne (C), and primary amine (D) functions are assembled together by successive copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and acid-amine coupling steps. Different PTzNA genetic sequences were prepared using a library of eight building blocks (i.

Orthogonal Synthesis of "Easy-to-Read" Information-Containing Polymers Using Phosphoramidite and Radical Coupling Steps.

A new orthogonal solid-phase iterative strategy is proposed for the synthesis of sequence-coded polymers. This approach relies on the use of two successive chemoselective steps: (i) phosphoramidite coupling, and (ii) radical-radical coupling. These repeated steps can be performed using two different types of building blocks, i.

Origin of Invariant Gel Melting Temperatures in the c-T Phase Diagram of an Organogel.

Binary c-T phase diagrams of organogelators in solvent are frequently simplified to two domains, gel and sol, even when the melting temperatures display two distinct regimes, an increase with T and a plateau. Herein, the c-T phase diagram of an organogelator in solvent is elucidated by rheology, DSC, optical microscopy, and transmitted light intensity measurements. We evidence a miscibility gap between the organogelator and the solvent above a threshold concentration, cL.

Optimal ATRP-Made Soluble Polymer Supports for Phosphoramidite Chemistry.

Soluble polystyrene supports with optimal molecular structures for iterative phosphoramidite chemistry were prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and subsequent chain-end modification steps. The controlled radical polymerization of styrene was first performed in the presence of an 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected amino-functional ATRP initiator. Soluble supports of different molecular weight were prepared.

Synthesis of Monodisperse Sequence-Coded Polymers with Chain Lengths above DP100.

Non-natural, sequence-encoded polyphosphates were prepared using the phosphoramidite approach on a DNA synthesizer. Two phosphoramidite monomers, namely, 2-cyanoethyl (3-dimethoxytrityloxy-propyl) diisopropylphosphoramidite () and 2-cyanoethyl (3-dimethoxytrityloxy-2,2-dimethyl-propyl) diisopropylphosphoramidite (), were used in this approach to form binary-coded sequences. Using 1000 Å controlled pore glass as a support and a large excess of monomers at each step, it was possible to synthesize homopolymers and sequence-coded copolymers of high chain-length.

Design of Nanohybrid Systems from a Partially Fluorinated Organogelator and Syndiotactic Polystyrene Thermoreversible Gel.

Nanohybrid systems are prepared from organogels of a partially fluorinated molecule and from thermoreversible gels of syndiotactic polystyrene. The thermodynamic behavior, morphology, and structure are investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The outcomes of these investigations suggest that the fibrils of the organogel coil around the sPS fibrils, probably through a heterogeneous nucleation process.

Synthesis of non-natural sequence-encoded polymers using phosphoramidite chemistry.

Sequence-defined non-natural polyphosphates were prepared using iterative phosphoramidite protocols on a polystyrene solid support. Three monomers were used in this work: 2-cyanoethyl (3-dimethoxytrityloxy-propyl) diisopropylphosphoramidite (0), 2-cyanoethyl (3-dimethoxytrityloxy-2,2-dimethyl-propyl) diisopropylphosphoramidite (1), and 2-cyanoethyl (3-dimethoxytrityloxy-2,2-dipropargyl-propyl) diisopropylphosphoramidite (1'). Phosphoramidite coupling steps allowed rapid synthesis of homopolymers and copolymers.

Extended supramolecular organization of π-systems using yet unexplored simultaneous intra- and inter-molecular H-bonding motifs of 1,3-dihydroxy derivatives.

Unique H-bonding motifs of 1,3-dihydroxyl derivatives involving simultaneous intra- and inter-molecular H-bonding results in extended organization of pendant chromophores with a spatial distance suitable for π-π interaction. A preformed assembly with appended acceptor units exhibits host-guest interaction with specific donors by charge-transfer complex formation.

Experimental and theoretical study of the n-doped successive polyanions of oligocruciform molecular wires: up to five units of charge.

The electronic structure of polyanions of sterically encumbered triisopropylsilyl-substituted linear and cyclic oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s (Monomer, Trimer, Pentamer, and Triangle) is investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), and UV/Vis-near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, and theoretical calculations (DFT). Increasing anion orders are generated sequentially in vacuo at room temperature by chemical reaction with potassium metal up to the pentaanion. The relevance of these compounds acting as electron reservoirs is thus demonstrated.

Electronic, spectroscopic, and ion-sensing properties of a dehydro[m]pyrido[14]- and [15]annulene isomer library.

An isomeric series of dehydro[m]pyrido[n]annulenes incorporating strained 1,4-buta-1,3-diyne units have been synthesized, where m = 2, n = 14 (1a-d); m = 2, n = 15 (2a,b); and m = 3, n = 15 (3). The number of pyridine rings and annulene ring π-electrons are denoted by m and n, respectively. The X-ray crystal structures of 1b and 1c confirmed their cyclic formulation.

Synthesis and properties of oligo[n]cruciforms: nanosized sterically encumbered tetraethynylphenyl-homologated fluorophores.

A series of nanosized phenyleneethynylenes have been prepared which are sterically insulated from the surrounding environment by multiple functionalization with triisopropylsilyl (TIPS) substituents. The phenyleneethynylenes comprise oligo[n]cruciforms 1-4 (n = 3-5) and a dehydrotribenzo[12]annulene 5, the former of which possess para-acyclic and the latter ortho-cyclic electronic conjugation pathways. All compounds were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopic techniques.