Metal-Free Supramolecular Assembly of Azacrown Ether Derivatives with EGCG for CpG DNA Encapsulation

Abstract A metal-free supramolecular system for nucleic acid encapsulation is presented based on gallate–crown ether interactions. Aza-18-crown-6 (Aza18C6) derivatives induce the assembly of ternary complexes composed of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), DNA (22-mer), and the crown ether by simple mixing, forming stable nanoparticles (∼350 nm) with high DNA encapsulation efficiency (>90%). The complexes undergo pH-responsive disassembly under mildly acidic conditions, suggesting their potential utility as carriers for nucleic acids.