Preparation and characterization of conductive and photoluminescent DNA-templated polyindole nanowires.
Polyindole (PIn) nanowires were formed on a lambda-DNA template by chemical oxidation of indole using aqueous FeCl3. The resulting nanowires are smooth, regular, conductive and had diameters in the range of 5-30 nm. These features allow them to be aligned by molecular combing and studied by scanned conductance microscopy, conductive AFM, and two-terminal I-V measurements. Using this combination of measurements, we find that the conductivity of PIn/DNA nanowires is between 2.5 and 40 S cm(-1) at room temperature, which is substantially greater than that in previous reports on the bulk polyindole conductivity (typically 10(-2)-10(-1) S cm(-1)). The conductance at zero bias shows an Arrhenius-type of dependence on temperature over the range of 233 to 373 K, and the values observed upon heating and cooling are repeatable within 5%; this behavior is consistent with a hopping mechanism of conductivity.
Hassanien
Reda
R
Chemical Nanoscience Laboratories, School of Chemistry, Bedson Building, Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
Al-Hinai
Mariam
M
Farha Al-Said
Said A
SA
Little
Ross
R
Siller
Lidija
L
Wright
Nicholas G
NG
Houlton
Andrew
A
Horrocks
Benjamin R
BR
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D007211:Indoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D008853:Microscopy; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
D007211:Indoles; D049408:Luminescent Agents; D011108:Polymers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D004247:DNA; D012825:Silicon