Cucurbit[7]uril-Styryl dye complexes for Fluorescent Recognition of DNA and Cell Imaging.

This paper focused on the DNA-binding properties of novel dicationic cyanine dyes, in which pyridinium centers are linked by bridges of different functionalities. We found that dye 1, bearing a flexible butyl-4-methylpyridinium terminal fragment, has the ability to bind to the DNA groove. The attachment of a quite rigid para-xylylene-4-methylpyridinium unit as a terminal group in dye 2 contributed to dual DNA-binding modes: intercalation and groove binding.