Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as universal bases in peptide nucleic acid

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found to be promising universal bases in PNA·DNA double helices. Several of the arenes paired promiscuously with any of the four canonical bases. However, the stabilities of the duplexes depended on the size and shape of the arene.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons possess favorable characteristics as universal bases in PNA·DNA double helices.