Self-assembly of DNA/cationic polythiophene : chiroptical properties and microscopic morphology

In the family of π-conjugated polyelectrolytes, polythiophenes constitute an interesting class of
polymers for biosensing application, as they combine solubility in aqueous media and have
sensitive optical properties for the detection of biomolecules like DNA.[1, 2]
Here, we study the self-assembly of DNA (salmon DNA, sDNA) with a cationic poly[3-(6'-
(trimethylphosphonium)hexyl)thiophene-2,5-diyl] (P3HT-PMe3). We study the chiroptical
properties of the complex by Circular Dichroism (CD) and the morphology by Atomic Force
Microscopy (AFM) and Confocal Optical Microscopy (COM).