“Four-Potential” Ferrocene Labeling of PNA Oligomers via Click Chemistry

The scope of the Cu(I)-catalyzed [2 + 3] azide/alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC, click chemistry) as a key reaction for the conjugation of ferrocene derivatives to N-terminal functionalized PNA oligomers is explored herein (PNA: peptide nucleic acid). The facile solid-phase synthesis of N-terminal azide or alkyne-functionalized PNA oligomer precursors and their cycloaddition with azidoferrocene, ethynylferrocene, and N-(3-ethylpent-1-yn-3-yl)ferrocene-carboxamide (DEPA−ferrocene) on the solid phase are presented. While the click reaction with azidomethylferrocene worked equally well, the ferrocenylmethyl group is lost from the conjugate upon acid cleavage. However, the desired product was obtained via a post-SPPS conversion of the alkyne−PNA oligomer with azidomethylferrocene in solution. The synthesis of all ferrocene−PNA conjugates (trimer t3-PNA, 3, 4, 5, 6; 12mer PNA, 10 - t c t a c a a g a c t c, 11 - t c t a c c g t a c t c) succeeded with excellent yields and purities, as determined by mass spectrometry and HPLC. Electrochemical studies of the trimer Fc−PNA conjugates 3, 4, 5, and 6 with four different ferrocene moieties revealed quasi-reversible redox processes of the ferrocenyl redox couple Fc0/+ and electrochemical half-wave potentials in a range of E 1/2 = −20 mV to +270 mV vs FcH0/+ (Fc: ferrocenyl, C10H9Fe). The observed potential differences ΔE 1/2 min are always greater than 60 mV for any given pair of Fc−PNA conjugates, thus allowing a reliable differentiation with sensitive electrochemical methods like e.g. square wave voltammetry (SWV). This is the electrochemical equivalent of “four-color” detection and is hence denoted “four-potential” labeling. Preparation and electrochemical investigation of the set of four structurally different and electrochemically distinguishable ferrocenyl groups conjugated to PNA oligomers, as exemplified by the conjugates 3, 4, 5, and 6, demonstrates the scope of the azide/alkyne cycloaddition for the labeling of PNA with electrochemically active ferrocenyl groups. Furthermore, it provides a PNA-based system for the electrochemical detection of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in DNA/RNA.