title: Ultrafast dynamics of solvation and charge transfer in a DNA-based biomaterial.
abstract: Charge migration along DNA molecules is a key factor for DNA-based devices in optoelectronics and biotechnology. The association of a significant amount of water molecules in DNA-based materials for the intactness of the DNA structure and their dynamic role in the charge-transfer (CT) dynamics is less documented in contemporary literature. In the present study, we have used a genomic DNA-cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTMA) complex, a technological important biomaterial, and Hoechest 33258 (H258), a well-known DNA minor groove binder, as fluorogenic probe for the dynamic solvation studies. The CT dynamics of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs; 5.2 nm) embedded in the as-prepared and swollen biomaterial have also been studied and correlated with that of the timescale of solvation. We have extended our studies on the temperature-dependent CT dynamics of QDs in a nanoenvironment of an anionic, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate reverse micelle (AOT RMs), whereby the number of water molecules and their dynamics can be tuned in a controlled manner. A direct correlation of the dynamics of solvation and that of the CT in the nanoenvironments clearly suggests that the hydration barrier within the Arrhenius framework essentially dictates the charge-transfer dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological and Macromolecular Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, SaltLake, Kolkata 700 098 (India).
authors.forename: Susobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choudhury
authors.forename: Subrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batabyal
authors.forename: Tanumoy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mondol
authors.forename: Dilip
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sao
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: Samir Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pal
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole / Q000737:chemistry*; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D000077286:Cetrimonium; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004579:Electron Transport; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D004247:DNA; C058667:cadmium selenide; C031238:zinc sulfide; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole; D000077286:Cetrimonium
keywords: DNA; charge transfer; quantum dots; solvation dynamics; thin films