10.1002/chem.200801506
The research focuses on the use of electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to investigate the specificity and stability of single-stranded-DNA (ssDNA) templated self-assemblies. The study employs ESI-MS to analyze supramolecular complexes formed by oligothymine (dTn) as the host template and guest molecules equipped with a complementary diaminotriazine hydrogen-bonding unit. Argon was used as the collision gas in the mass spectrometer. The experiments involve the systematic variation of template lengths and guest-molecule sizes to assess complex detectability and stability. The analyses include collision-induced-dissociation (CID) experiments to study the relative strength of guest binding to the ssDNA template in the gas phase. The reactants used in these experiments are ssDNA templates of varying lengths (dT5, dT10, dT20, dT40) and guest molecules (G1, G2, G3, G4) with different molecular weights and hydrogen-bonding capabilities. The ESI-MS technique allows for the detection of distinct ssDNA-guest complexes, with the highest complex mass detected being 15 kDa, constituting 20-component self-assembled objects. The article demonstrates that ESI-MS is a powerful tool for analyzing supramolecular ssDNA complexes in detail, providing insights into the binding dynamics and selectivity of these constructs.