First-principles transversal DNA conductance deconstructed

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Biophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1529/biophysj.106.085548· OSTI ID:1003335

Zhang, Xiaoguang ^[1]; Krstic, Predrag ^[1]; Zikic, Radomir ^[1]; Wells, Jack C ^[1]; Fuentes-Cabrera, Miguel A ^[1]

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1. ORNL

First-principles calculation of the transverse conductance across DNA fragments placed between gold nanoelectrodes, reveals that such conductance describes electron tunneling that depends critically on geometrical rather than electronic-structure properties. By factoring the first-principles result into two simple and approximately independent tunneling factors, we show that the conductances of the A, C, G, and T fragments differ only because of their sizes: the larger is the DNA base, the smaller is the distance that separates the electrode from the corresponding molecule, and the larger is its conductance. Because the geometrical factors are difficult to control in an experiment, the DC-current measurements across DNA may not be a convenient approach to DNA sequencing.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
• Sponsoring Organization: Work for Others (WFO); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1003335
• Journal Information: Biophysical Journal, Vol. 91, Issue 1; ISSN 0006-3495
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
DNA
DNA SEQUENCING
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELECTRONS
GOLD
TUNNELING