title: Electronic energy delocalization and dissipation in single- and double-stranded DNA.
abstract: The mechanism that nature applies to dissipate excess energy from solar UV light absorption in DNA is fundamental, because its efficiency determines the vulnerability of all genetic material to photodamage and subsequent mutations. Using femtosecond time-resolved broadband spectroscopy, we have traced the electronic excitation in both time and space along the base stack in a series of single-stranded and double-stranded DNA oligonucleotides. The obtained results demonstrate not only the presence of delocalized electronic domains (excitons) as a result of UV light absorption, but also reveal the spatial extent of the excitons.
authors.affiliation: Eugene F. Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Buchvarov
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Milen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raytchev
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trifonov
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fiebig
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism*; D004583:Electrons; D004735:Energy Transfer; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D000225:Adenine