Synthesis of new C-5-triazolyl-functionalized thymidine analogs and their ability to engage in aromatic stacking in DNA : DNA and DNA : RNA duplexes.

1-Phenyl-1,2,3-triazole scaffolds on the 5-position of pyrimidine nucleosides have previously shown to enhance nuclease stability and increase the duplex thermal stability (Tm) by engaging in duplex stacking interactions. In this study, we have introduced two new derivatives of this scaffold in DNA : DNA and DNA : RNA duplexes in order to explore the thermal effects of (1) using a 1,5-triazole instead of the usual 1,4-triazole, and (2) replacing the apolar phenyl substituent with a polar uracil-5-yl substituent.