DNA and RNA in Anhydrous Media: Duplex, Triplex, and G‐Quadruplex Secondary Structures in a Deep Eutectic Solvent

Abstract

Hold the water! Deep-eutectic solvents (DESs) are nonvolatile media suitable for a wide range of chemical reactions. The discovery that nucleic acids can form duplex, triplex, and G-quadruplex structures (which in some cases differ from those adopted in aqueous media) in a water-free DES (see picture) opens the enticing possibility that catalytic nucleic acids and enzyme–nucleic acid complexes could also be used in these solvents.