Modulation of Charge Transport Across Double-Stranded DNA by the Site-Specific Incorporation of Copper Bis-Phenanthroline Complexes

Abstract

The site-specific incorporation of transition-metal complexes within DNA duplexes, followed by their immobilization on a gold surface, was studied by electrochemistry to characterize their ability to mediate charge. Cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry, and control experiments were carried out on fully matched and mismatched DNA strands that are mono- or bis-labeled with transition-metal complexes. These experiments are all consistent with the ability of the metal centers to act as a redox probe that is well coupled to the DNA π-stack, allowing DNA-mediated charge transport.

Room-Temperature and Selective Triggering of Supramolecular DNA Assembly/Disassembly by Nonionizing Radiation

“…Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries the information blueprint for all living organisms and fills several roles that are essential for life. Over the past two decades, DNA has advanced well beyond this natural role as a storage medium for genetic information to that of a programmable design material and building block for “designer” nanoscale structures. , Furthermore, since seminal work in the 1990s, the complexity of these nanostructures has greatly evolved to display non-DNA appendages such as dendrimers, polymers, lipids, metal-binding sites, and fluorophores. − Each of these classes of ligands provides new opportunities for creating functional nanomaterials, with applications ranging from drug delivery , and in vivo chlorine and pH sensing to molecular machines, , nanowires, and surface patterning of polymer amphiphiles . Considering the pluripotency of these structures, the field has abundantly investigated approaches to manipulating the assembly and disassembly of DNA nanostructures of increasing complexity, using chemical or thermal cues.…”