Title: Electrical conduction of calf-thymus DNA molecules

Authors: S. Abdalla, S.D. Jastaniah

Addresses: Medical Physics Division Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 80205 Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. ' Medical Physics Division Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 80205 Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: We present theoretical calculations to explain the behaviour of electrical conduction in calf-thymus DNA molecules trapped between a gap of 10 nm Au electrodes. Our work further explains the experimental I-V data reported for these DNA molecules that shows both large electrical hysteresis and voltage gap. We attribute their data to energy conservation within the molecules and electrons transfer through the metal contact to the molecule.

Keywords: DNA molecules; electrical conduction; rectifying metal contacts; electrical hysteresis; energy conservation; voltage gap; electron transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.027725

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4/5, pp.299 - 306

Published online: 08 Aug 2009 *

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