title: Tuning the Electromechanical Properties of Single DNA Molecular Junctions.
abstract: Understanding the interplay between the electrical and mechanical properties of DNA molecules is important for the design and characterization of molecular electronic devices, as well as understanding the role of charge transport in biological functions. However, to date, force-induced melting has limited our ability to investigate the response of DNA molecular conductance to stretching. Here we present a new molecule-electrode linker based on a hairpin-like design, which prevents force-induced melting at the end of single DNA molecules during stretching by stretching both strands of the duplex evenly. We find that the new linker group gives larger conductance than previously measured DNA-electrode linkers, which attach to the end of one strand of the duplex. In addition to changing the conductance the new linker also stabilizes the molecule during stretching, increasing the length a single DNA molecule can be stretched before an abrupt decrease in conductance. Fitting these electromechanical properties to a spring model, we show that distortion is more evenly distributed across the single DNA molecule during stretching, and thus the electromechanical effects of the π-π coupling between neighboring bases is measured.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-5801, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruot
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-5801, United States.
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-5801, United States.
authors.forename: Julio L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-5801, United States.
authors.forename: Yueqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona 85287-5801, United States.
authors.forename: Nongjian
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D004581:Electronics; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D004247:DNA