Fluorescent 1,10-phenanthroline-containing oligonucleotides distinguish between perfect and mismatched base pairing.

[structure: see text] A fluorescent deoxyuridine analogue is sensitive to the polarity of its environment and exhibits a distinct emission profile in single- vs double-stranded oligonucleotides. Emission-monitored denaturation curves of internally modified dU(phen) duplexes are characteristic of the base opposite dU(phen) and distinguish between perfect and mismatched complementary oligonucleotides.