skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Size-expanded DNA bases: An ab-initio study of their structural and electronic properties

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry B
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp055210i· OSTI ID:1003598

The size-expanded DNA bases, xA, xC, xG, and xT, are benzo-homologue forms of the natural DNA bases; i.e., their structure can be seen as the fusion of a natural base and a benzene ring. Recently, a variety of DNAs, known as xDNAs, have been synthesized in which size-expanded and natural bases are paired. In this paper we use second-order Moeller-Plesset perturbation theory and density functional theory to investigate the structural and electronic properties of xA, xC, xG, and xT and their natural counterparts. We find that whereas natural and size-expanded bases have both nonplanar amino groups the latter have also nonplanar aromatic rings. When density functional theory is used to investigate the electronic properties of size-expanded and natural bases, it is found that the HOMO-LUMO gap of the size-expanded bases is smaller than that of the natural bases. Also, xG should be easier to oxidize than G.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1003598
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 109, Issue 44; ISSN 1520--6106
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Aromaticity-induced changes in the electronic properties of size-expanded DNA bases: Case of xC.
Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · International Journal of Quantum Chemistry · OSTI ID:1003598

Size-Expanded yDNA bases: An Ab Initio Study
Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Journal of Physical Chemistry B · OSTI ID:1003598

Structural, Dynamical and Electronic Transport Properties of Modified DNA Duplexes Containing Size-Expanded Nucleobases
Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Journal of Physical Chemistry A: Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment, amp General Theory · OSTI ID:1003598