Synthesis and DNA cleavage activity of artificial receptor 1,4,7-triazacyclononane containing guanidinoethyl and hydroxyethyl side arms

A novel phosphodiester receptor 1-(2-guanidinoethyl)-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane hydrochloride 1 was synthesized. DNA cleavage efficiency of 1 exhibits remarkable increases compared with its ZnII complex and corresponding nonguanidinium compound N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane and parent 1,4,7-triazacyclononane. Kinetic data of DNA cleavage promoted by 1 fit to a Michaelis-Menten-type equation with kmax of 0.160 h-1 giving 107-fold rate acceleration over uncatalyzed DNA. The acceleration is driven by the spatial proximity of the nucleophilic hydroxyl group and the electrophilic activation for the phosphodiester by the guanidinium group.