title: Use of molybdenum telluride as a substrate for the imaging of biological molecules during scanning tunnelling microscopy.
abstract: Scanning tunnelling microscopy was used to image biological molecules including supercoiled deoxyribonacetic acid and specific retrovirus enzymes, the reverse transcriptases of the avian myeloblastosis virus, the moloney murine leukaemia virus and the human immunodeficiency virus. Measurements were carried out on graphite and Group VI transition metal dichalcogenide layered crystals. Images obtained with graphite could not be unequivocally interpreted and attachment appears to occur solely at surface defect sites. The layered crystal MoTe2 shows different imaging properties. The bimolecules are clearly visible, distributed over the semiconductor surface, and the molecular shapes and dimensions show good correlation with structure predictions.
authors.affiliation: University of Portsmouth, Department of Chemistry, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jungblut
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giersig
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomm
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lewerenz
mesh_terms: D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000737:chemistry*; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / Q000379:methods*; D008982:Molybdenum; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D013691:Tellurium
chemical_list: D004278:DNA, Superhelical; C088876:molybdenum telluride; D008982:Molybdenum; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D013691:Tellurium