The synthesis and
self-assembly studies of DNA/RNA-mimic artificial polymers have
drawn extensive scientific attention, since synthetic chemists can manipulate
the functions of these modified nucleic acid molecules by varying their
macromolecular backbone and nucleoside unit structures. In this manuscript, we
report two types of modified nucleic acids with olefin bridges prepared by
acyclic diene metathesis polymerization (ADMET). The 3’-OH and 5’-OH groups of
deoxythymidine and deoxyadenosine analogue monomers are functionalized with
either two terminal allyl units or allyl and acryloyl units respectively. The consequent
ADMET approaches provide either regio-uncontrolled oligodeoxynucleosides with
poor E/Z selectivity or well-defined oligodeoxynucleosides built in a
highly ordered head-to-tail addition manner. These two different
macromolecular structures markedly influence the self-assembly morphologies of
the corresponding oligodeoxynucleosides, which show spherical and filamentous helix
nanostructures respectively.
