Nucleotide and DNA coordinated lanthanides: From fundamentals to applications

Abstract Lanthanides are very important for their unique catalytic, optical and magnetic properties. Various ligands have been synthesized to coordinate with lanthanides so that their properties can be better controlled enabling various analytical, materials and biomedical applications. DNA is an anionic polymer made of four types of nucleotides. With high stability, low cost, programmability, and molecular recognition and catalytic functions, DNA has become a very popular material in the past few decades. In recent years, both nucleotides and DNA have been explored as ligands for lanthanides. In this article, fundamental interactions between nucleotides and DNA with lanthanides are reviewed in terms of binding sites and thermodynamics. Further, coordination polymers formed by mixing nucleotides and lanthanides are discussed, which can form nanoparticles, fibers and hydrogels with applications for enzyme encapsulation, imaging and biosensors. DNA sequences have been screened to bind lanthanides and to sensitize luminescence of both Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ . Lanthanides at millimolar concentrations can also serve as nuclease mimics to cleave both RNA and DNA. In addition, in vitro selections have resulted in a suite of new DNAzymes for site-specific RNA and DNA cleavage at much lower lanthanide concentrations. Overall, nucleotides and DNA are unique ligands for lanthanides and future work will likely be focused on understanding of fundamental coordination structures, rational design of advanced coordination materials, and expanding the range of DNA catalytic reactions that can be assisted by lanthanides.