Insulator base pairs for lighting-up perylenediimide in a DNA duplex.

ABSTRACT

Quenched Perylenediimide (PDI) is highly quenched by nucleobases, which greatly restricts its application as a fluorescent probe. Here, we propose "insulator base pairs" tethering cyclohexane ring through D-threoninol. When "insulator base pairs" were inserted between PDI and nucleobases, the quantum yield of PDI drastically increased several thousand-fold. The "insulator base pairs" reported here also have the potential to increase the quantum yields of other fluorophores.