Synthesis and photoactivity of phenylazonaphthalene peptide nucleic acid monomers

Phenylazonaphthalene peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers were successfully synthesized,and their photoisomerization was examined.The new PNA monomers showed reversible trans-cis isomerization with UV and visible light irradiation,which might be the foundation of photo-regulating the hybridization between PNA containing phenylazonaphthalene unit and DNA.Simultaneously,the fluorescence of the new PNA monomers might make them especially useful as structural probes.