title: Dissociative electron attachment to hydrated single DNA strands.
abstract: The present experiments concern electron interactions with a film of short single strands of DNA covered by 3 monolayers of water, which corresponds to 5.25 water molecules per nucleotide. We report on the desorption of H{-}, O{-}, OH{-} from this target induced by 3-20 eV electrons. Below 15 eV, these anions emanate principally from a new type of dissociative core-excited transient anions formed via electron capture by a DNA- H2O complex. A smaller portion of the H{-} desorption signal arises from weakly bonded H2O molecules. The overall anion yield from DNA is increased by a factor of 1.6 owing to the presence of water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1H 5N4. sylwia.ptasinska@usherbrooke.ca
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ptasińska
authors.forename: Léon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanche
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004579:Electron Transport; D004583:Electrons; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D055672:Static Electricity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; D004247:DNA