DNA-ferrocene as two-step-mechanophore
Since many years, researchers are interested in sandwich-type complexes that can be used in various areas like in catalysis, in electrochemistry, in agrochemical applications or for the production of pharmaceuticals and flavours.[1, 2] Recently, we have shown that ferrocene can be used as a mechanophore in polymers, hence as preferential breaking point in poly methyl-acrylate and polyurethane.[3]
We have now introduced additional functionality by associating the ferrocene moieties via a linker [4] to a DNA duplex. Embedding such an entity into a polymer is expected to give rise to a two-step mechanophore [5] (Figure 1) in which first the H-bonds of DNA, and then the sandwich-complex are cleaved as increasing force is exerted. Mismatches that have been introduced in the DNA pairing, have an influence on the mechanical strength of the mechanophore.
[1] T. J. Colacot, N. S. Hosmane, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem., 2005, 631, 2659-2668.
[2] C. Sui, Y. Zhou, M. Wang, H. Yin, P. Wang, S. Ai, Sensors and Actuators B., 2018, 514-521.
[3] M. Di Giannantonio, M. A. Ayer, E. Vester-Sesto, M. Lattuada, C. Weder, K. M. Fromm, Angew.Chem.Int. Ed., 2018, 57, 11445 –11450.
[4] R. Claus, J. P. Lewtak, T. J. Muller, J. C. Swarts, J. Organomet. Chem., 2013, 740, 61-69.
[5] J. Li, C. Nagamani, J. S. Moore, Acc. Chem. Res., 2015, 48 (8), 2181–2190.