Aviram-Ratner rectifying mechanism for DNA base-pair sequencing through graphene nanogaps

Authors：Agapito Luis A^*; Gayles Jacob; Wolowiec Christian; Kioussis Nicholas

Source：Nanotechnology, 2012, 23(13).

DOI：10.1088/0957-4484/23/13/135202

• Ab initio
• Base pairs
• Biological molecule
• Computational implementations
• Current-voltage response
• DNA Sequencing
• Electrical response
• Nano-gap
• Nanogaps
• Non equilibrium
• Nucleobases
• Sharp contrast
• Spatial separation
• Symmetric response
• Technological challenges
• Watson-Crick DNA
• Weak hydrogen bonding

We demonstrate that biological molecules such as WatsonCrick DNA base pairs can behave as biological AviramRatner electrical rectifiers because of the spatial separation and weak hydrogen bonding between the nucleobases. We have performed a parallel computational implementation of the abinitio non-equilibrium Greens NEGF) theory to determine the electrical response of graphenebase-pairgraphene junctions. The results show an asymmetric (rectifying) currentvoltage response for the cytosineguanine base pair adsorbed on a graphene nanogap. In sharp contrast we find a symmetric response for the thymineadenine case. We propose applying the asymmetry of the currentvoltage response as a sensing criterion to the technological challenge of rapid DNA sequencing via graphene nanogaps.

• Institution
  United States; 1; California State University Northridge; California State University,Northridge