Electrical Conductance in Biological Molecules
Journal article, 2010
Nucleic acids and proteins are not only biologically important polymers. They have recently been recognized as novel functional materials surpassing conventional materials in many aspects. Although Herculean efforts have been undertaken to unravel fine functioning mechanisms of the biopolymers in question, there is still much more to be done. Here the topic of biomolecular charge transport is presented with a particular focus on charge transfer/transport in DNA and protein molecules. The experimentally revealed details, as well as the presently available theories, of charge transfer/transport along these biopolymers are critically reviewed and analyzed. A summary of the active research in this field is also given, along with a number of practical recommendations.
hole transfer
long-range
deoxyribonucleic-acid
compensation
single dna-molecules
hopping mechanism
enthalpy-entropy
chemical-reaction rates
transverse electronic transport
charge-carrier generation
double-stranded dna
Author
M. W. Shinwari
McMaster University
J. Deen
Division of IT Convergence Engineering
McMaster University
Jewgeni Starikow
Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Physical Chemistry
G. Cuniberti
Division of IT Convergence Engineering
Technische Universität Dresden
Advanced Functional Materials
1616-301X (ISSN) 16163028 (eISSN)
Vol. 20 12 1865-1883Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Chemical Sciences
DOI
10.1002/adfm.200902066