Folding directed N-oxidation of oligopyridine-dicarboxamide strands and hybridization of oxidized oligomers.

Folding of oligopyridine-dicarboxamides into helices inhibits the N-oxidation of pyridine rings central in the sequence and also much enhances the N-oxidation of pyridine rings peripheral in the sequence. Oligomers N-oxidized at their terminal position show an increased ability to hybridize into double helices.