Effects of Environmental Factors and Metallic Electrodes on AC Electrical Conduction Through DNA Molecule

Abstract Background Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is one of the best candidate materials for various device applications such as in electrodes for rechargeable batteries, biosensors, molecular electronics, medical- and biomedical-applications etc. Hence, it is worthwhile to examine the mechanism of charge transport in the DNA molecule, however, still a question without a clear answer is DNA a molecular conducting material (wire), semiconductor, or insulator? The answer, after the published data, is still ambiguous without any confirmed and clear scientific answer. DNA is found to be always surrounded with different electric charges, ions, and dipoles. These surrounding charges and electric barrier(s) due to metallic electrodes (as environmental factors (EFs)) play a substantial role when measuring the electrical conductivity through λ-double helix (DNA) molecule suspended between metallic electrodes. We found that strong frequency dependence of AC-complex conductivity comes from the electrical conduction of EFs. This leads to superimposing serious incorrect experimental data to measured ones. Methods At 1 MHz, we carried out a first control experiment on electrical conductivity with and without the presence of DNA molecule. If there are possible electrical conduction due to stray ions and contribution of substrate, we will detected them. This control experiment revealed that there is an important role played by the environmental-charges around DNA molecule and any experiment should consider this role. Results and discussion We have succeeded to measure both electrical conductivity due to EFs (σ ENV) and electrical conductivity due to DNA molecule (σ DNA) independently by carrying the measurements at different DNA-lengths and subtracting the data. We carried out measurements as a function of frequency (f) and temperature (T) in the ranges 0.1 Hz < f < 1 MHz and 288 K < T < 343 K. The measured conductivity (σ MES) portrays a metal-like behavior at high frequencies near 1 MHz. However, we found that σ DNA was far from this behavior because the conduction due to EFs superimposes σ DNA, in particular at low frequencies. By measuring the electrical conductivity at different lengths: 40, 60, 80, and 100 nm, we have succeeded not only to separate the electrical conduction of the DNA molecule from all EFs effects that surround the molecule, but also to present accurate values of σ DNA and the dielectric constant of the molecule ε’DNA as a function of temperature and frequency. Furthermore, in order to explain these data, we present a model describing the electrical conduction through DNA molecule: DNA is a classical semiconductor with charges, dipoles and ions that result in creation of localized energy-states (LESs) in the extended bands and in the energy gap of the DNA molecule. Conclusions This model explains clearly the mechanism of charge transfer mechanism in the DNA, and it sheds light on why the charge transfer through the DNA can lead to insulating, semiconducting, or metallic behavior on the same time. The model considers charges on DNA, in the extended bands, either could be free to move under electric field or localized in potential wells/hills. Localization of charges in DNA is an intrinsic structural-property of this solitaire molecule. At all temperatures, the expected increase in thermal-induced charge is attributed to the delocalization of holes (or/and electrons) in potential hills (or/and potential wells) which accurately accounts for the total electric and dielectric behavior through DNA molecule. We succeeded to fit the experimental data to the proposed model with reasonable magnitudes of potential hills/wells that are in the energy range from 0.068 eV