Preparation and characterization of DNA-aromatic surfactant complexes for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

DNA biopolymer has emerging as a promising material in photonic applications. In this paper, we present the preparation and characterization of a series of DNA-surfactant complexes based on aromatic surfactants, including vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride, benzyltrimethylammonium chloride, and phenyltrimethylammonium chloride. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-VIS spectroscopy were used to characterize the presence of specific chemical groups in the materials. These synthesized DNA complexes show high transparency from 400nm to 1100nm. These materials can be spin casted into thin films from nm to um and the morphology was examined by SEM and AFM. Thermal property was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis. Conductivity was examined to investigate the effect of aromatic surfactants on the electrical properties of DNA complexes. In addition, the photoluminescence and lasing properties for DNA-aromatic surfactants with rhodamine dyes were investigated to study the amplified spontaneous emission where the ASE emission wavelength, lasing threshold, and gain were presented and discussed. The results were compared with DNA complex with single chain aliphatic surfactant complex (DNAcetyltrimethylammoniumchloride).

Possible sensor applications of selected DNA–surfactant complexes

“…Noting that DNA modified with quaternary surfactants, particularly CTMA (Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride), produces a transparent film with outstanding optical properties, e.g., high transmission in the full visible regime and NIR spectrum region (Pawlicka et al 2015;Lin et al 2011), we decided to use as DNA modifier another quaternary surfactant (TBAB) with shorter chain length (C4) and ionic liquids based on the imidazole ring. Figure 5 shows the optical properties of the DNA and synthesized DNA complexes in aqueous solution.…”