Synthesis, multiscale-multiphase characterization and applications of thiophene-based biohybrids

Alesi, Silvia (2008) Synthesis, multiscale-multiphase characterization and applications of thiophene-based biohybrids, [Dissertation thesis], Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze chimiche, 20 Ciclo. DOI 10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/1046.
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Abstract

Biohybrid derivatives of π-conjugated materials are emerging as powerful tools to study biological events through the (opto)electronic variations of the π-conjugated moieties, as well as to direct and govern the self-assembly properties of the organic materials through the organization principles of the bio component. So far, very few examples of thiophene-based biohybrids have been reported. The aim of this Ph. D thesis has been the development of oligothiophene-oligonucleotide hybrid derivatives as tools, on one side, to detect DNA hybridisation events and, on the other, as model compounds to investigate thiophene-nucleobase interactions in the solid state. To obtain oligothiophene bioconjugates with the required high level of purity, we first developed new synthetic ecofriendly protocols for the synthesis of thiophene oligomers. Our innovative heterogeneous Suzuki coupling methodology, carried out in EtOH/water or isopropanol under microwave irradiation, allowed us to obtain alkyl substituted oligothiophenes and thiophene based co-oligomers in high yields and very short reaction times, free from residual metals and with improved film forming properties. These methodologies were subsequently applied in the synthesis of oligothiophene-oligonucleotide conjugates. Oligothiophene-5-labeled deoxyuridines were synthesized and incorporated into 19-meric oligonucletide sequences. We showed that the oligothiophene-labeled oligonucletide sequences obtained can be used as probes to detect a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in complementary DNA target sequences. In fact, all the probes showed marked variations in emission intensity upon hybridization with a complementary target sequence. The observed variations in emitted light were comparable or even superior to those reported in similar studies, showing that the biohybrids can potentially be useful to develop biosensors for the detection of DNA mismatches. Finally, water-soluble, photoluminescent and electroactive dinucleotide-hybrid derivatives of quaterthiophene and quinquethiophene were synthesized. By means of a combination of spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, electrical characterizations, microfluidic measurements and theoretical calculations, we were able to demonstrate that the self-assembly modalities of the biohybrids in thin films are driven by the interplay of intra and intermolecular interactions in which the π-stacking between the oligothiophene and nucleotide bases plays a major role.

Abstract
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Alesi, Silvia
Supervisore
Co-supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Ciclo
20
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
biohybrids oligothiophenes
URN:NBN
DOI
10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/1046
Data di discussione
15 Aprile 2008
URI

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