Responsive Self-Assembled Nanostructures through Base-Modified Guanine Analogues
Schematic representation of a Self-assembled Multifunctional Dendrimer; (S1-S4) Surface functional groups, like targeting agents, drugs, imaging agents, etc.; additional functional elements include branching units (B), internal core (C).
The long term goal of this project is to develop a variety of multi-functional nanostructured materials for biomedical applications. Short-term, we intend to enhance our understanding of the fundamental principles that modulate the self-assembly of guanine derivatives into functional nanostructures such as dendrimers. These studies will reveal important fundamental knowledge on the principles and rules that allow the self-assembly (and disassembly) of guanine derivatives into multifunctional dendrimers. The research builds on recent discoveries from our laboratory on how the self-assembly properties of 8ArGs can be modulated by the nature of a group attached to the C8 of the guanine base.
