Back-electron transfer suppresses the periodic length dependence of DNA-mediated charge transport across adenine tracts

DNA-mediated charge transport (CT) is exquisitely sensitive to the integrity of the bridging pi-stack and is characterized by a shallow distance dependence. These properties are obscured by poor coupling between the donor/acceptor pair and the DNA bridge, or by convolution with other processes. Previously, we found a surprising periodic length dependence for the rate of DNA-mediated CT across adenine tracts monitored by 2-aminopurine fluorescence. Here we report a similar periodicity by monitoring N 2-cyclopropylguanosine decomposition by rhodium and anthraquinone photooxidants. Furthermore, we find that this periodicity is attenuated by consequent back-electron transfer (BET), as observed by direct comparison between sequences that allow and suppress BET. Thus, the periodicity can be controlled by engineering the extent of BET across the bridge. The periodic length dependence is not consistent with a periodicity predicted by molecular wire theory but is consistent with a model where multiples of four to five base pairs form an ideal CT-active length of a bridging adenine domain.     

Ionic components dependence of the charge transfer reactions at the silicon/HF solution interface

The actual requirements for circuit miniaturization and production economy require obtaining smooth silicon surfaces using diluted chemicals, especially HF treatment. This fundamental research deals with the electrochemical corrosion of n- and p-type silicon substrates in 0.25 M dilute HF solutions, and examines the influence of fluoride ions or protons additives. All experiments were conducted both in the dark and under constant light flux, with solutions thoroughly degassed by high purity argon bubbling. Polarization resistance measurements near the open circuit potential lead to the value of the corrosion current. The kinetics of charge transfer reactions, studied by linear voltammetry, were interpreted as a function of the carrier density in the energy levels of the semiconductor and the concentration of acceptor species in the solution. The influence of these parameters on the surface roughening of the silicon samples was also studied by ex situ atomic force microscopy profile measurements. Received: 13 December 1998 / Accepted: 29 March 1999     

HEK-TCNQ的光诱导电荷转移与HEK-DDQ的基态电荷转移

合成了电荷转移复合物HEK-TCNQ和HEK-DDQ(HEK=9-hydroxyethylcarbazole)。拉曼光谱和吸收光谱测定表明: 光电导为10^-^1^1s.cm^-^1的HEK-TCNQ在514.5nm激光照射下可发生电荷转移, 生成HEK^+TCNQ^-, 其光电导显著增大。X射线结构分析和红外光谱表明: HEK与DDQ之间基态电荷转移量为0.1~0.2。     

Target dependence of charge exchange X-rays

This paper describes our finding that in slow collisions of Kr²⁷⁺ projectiles with neutral Ne, Ar and O₂ atoms/molecules there is a significant target dependence in the spectra of X-rays originating from electron capture. We also present results of a classical trajectory Monte-Carlo (CTMC) calculation that quantifies the different initial electronic state (n,l) distributions of the captured electrons for these three target gasses.     

Temperature dependence of spin-selective charge transfer pathways in donor-bridge-acceptor molecules with oligomeric fluorenone and p-phenylethynylene bridges

The temperature dependence of spin-selective intramolecular charge recombination (CR) in a series of 2,7-fluorenone (FN(1-2)) and p-phenylethynylene (PE(1-2)P) linked donor-bridge-acceptor molecules with a 3,5-dimethyl-4-(9-anthracenyl) julolidine (DMJ-An) electron donor and a naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) (NI) acceptor was studied using nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in the presence of a static magnetic field. Photoexcitation of DMJ-An into its charge transfer band and subsequent electron transfer to NI results in a nearly quantitative yield of (1)(DMJ(+?)-An-FN(n)-NI(-?)) and (1)(DMJ(+?)-An-PE(n)P-NI(-?)), which undergo rapid radical pair intersystem crossing (RP-ISC) to produce the triplet RPs, (3)(DMJ(+?)-An-FN(n)-NI(-?)) and (3)(DMJ(+?)-An-PE(n)P-NI(-?)), respectively. The CR rate constants, k(CR), in toluene were measured over a temperature range from 270 to 350 K, and a kinetic analysis of k(CR) in the presence of an applied static magnetic field was used to extract the singlet and triplet charge recombination rate constants, k(CRS) and k(CRT), respectively, as well as the intersystem crossing rate constant, k(ST). Plots of ln (kT(1/2)) versus 1/T for PE(1)P show a distinct crossover at 300 K from a temperature-independent singlet CR pathway to a triplet CR pathway that is positively activated with a barrier of 1047 ± 170 cm(-1). The singlet CR pathway via the FN(1) bridge displays a negative activation energy that results from donor-bridge and bridge-acceptor torsional motions about the single bonds joining them. In contrast, the triplet CR pathway via the FN(1-2) and PE(1-2)P bridges exhibits positive activation energies. The activation barriers to these torsional motions range from 1100 to 4500 cm(-1) and can be modeled by semiclassical electron transfer theory.     

Voltage dependence of bilayer membrane capacitance

The change in capacitance of cholesterol-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bilayer membranes upon application of relatively high dc and ac potentials was measured as a function of frequency. Capacitance increases proportional to the square of voltage were observed (0.5–1% for 100 mV dc). The amplitude of the ac component of the capacitance variation decreased with frequency until a break frequency was reached, above which the capacitance response was constant at a value about two orders of magnitude lower than the dc response. By comparison with the elastic response of the membrane and border, it was concluded the capacitance response at higher frequency was due to bilayer thickness decrease with voltage (electrostriction) while the lower frequency response was associated with a bilayer area increase. Agreement was obtained between the measured electrostriction and that calculated from membrane elasticity. Area increases with voltage calculated assuming border shrinkage as a result of an increase in contact angle were in order of magnitude agreement with the observed dc response. The effects of lenses and bowed membranes are discussed.     

Vibronic spectra of charge transfer excitons and of mixed charge transfer and Frenkel excitons

The linear absorption spectra in the excitonic and vibronic regions in the case of mixing of Frenkel excitons (FEs) and charge-transfer excitons (CTEs) have been theoretically studied for the exciton parameters of the crystals of MePTCDI and PTCDA. Two coupling parameters for the exciton–phonon coupling are introduced: the FE–phonon coupling and the CTE–phonon coupling. The main features of the vibronics in the absorption spectra are the following: (a) the existence of a doublet structure in the vibronic spectra of CTEs; (b) the vibronic levels of the FE at intermediate values of both coupling parameters are located in the continuum of the many-particle exciton–phonon states which makes its absorption line wide and flat; (c) in the case of strong coupling (coupling constants larger than 1) a doublet of bound states appears above this continuum; (d) in the case of vanishing CTE–phonon coupling the vibronics of the charge transfer excitons practically disappear in the absorption spectra.     

Compositional and electric field dependence of the dissociation of charge transfer excitons in alternating polyfluorene copolymer/fullerene blends

The electro-optical properties of thin films of electron donor-acceptor blends of a fluorene copolymer (PF10TBT) and a fullerene derivative (PCBM) were studied. Transmission electron microscopy shows that in these films nanocrystalline PCBM clusters are formed at high PCBM content. For all concentrations, a charge transfer (CT) transition is observed with absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and electroluminescence. The CT emission is used as a probe to investigate the dissociation of CT excited states at the donor-acceptor interface in photovoltaic devices, as a function of an applied external electric field and PCBM concentration. We find that the maximum of the CT emission shifts to lower energy and decreases in intensity with higher PCBM content. We explain the red shift of the emission and the lowering of the open-circuit voltage (V(OC)) of photovoltaic devices prepared from these blends with the higher relative permittivity of PCBM (epsilon(r) = 4.0) compared to that of the polymer (epsilon(r) = 3.4), stabilizing the energy (E(CT)) of CT states and of the free charge carriers in blends with higher PCBM concentration. We show that the CT state has a short decay time (tau = ca. 4 ns) that is reduced by the application of an external electric field or with increasing PCBM content. The field-induced quenching can be explained quantitatively with the Onsager-Braun model for the dissociation of the CT states when including a high electron mobility in nanocrystalline PCBM clusters. Furthermore, photoinduced absorption spectroscopy shows that increasing the PCBM concentration reduces the yield of neutral triplet excitons forming via electron-hole recombination, and increases the lifetime of radical cations. The presence of nanocrystalline domains with high local carrier mobility of at least one of the two components in an organic heterojunction may explain efficient dissociation of CT states into free charge carriers.     

Temperature dependence of ultra-exothermic charge recombinations.

We measured the temperature dependence (from +32 to -50 degrees C) of charge-recombination rates between contact radical ion pairs in isopropyl ether. In the systems selected for this study, aromatic hydrocarbon cations are the electron acceptors and the fumaronitrile anion is the electron donor. Nearly quantitative electron transfers occur at all temperatures. The charge recombinations have excess exothermicities of -60 kcal mol(-1) and exhibit a very weak temperature dependence. Our observations emphasize the absence of solvent effects and the relevance of nuclear tunneling in charge recombinations.     

Effect of 15-crown-5 on the charge transfer resistance at the polymer electrolyte/modified Li-electrode interface

The effect of 15-crown-5, which is applied immediately to pure and modified surface of a lithium electrode, on the charge transfer resistance at the electrode/polymer electrolyte interface is studied. The polymer electrolyte consists of a 1: 1 mixture of oligourethan dimethacrylate and polypropylene glycol monomethacrylate (20 wt %), an initiator (azobisisobutyronitrile) (2 wt %), and a 1 M LiClO₄ solution in gamma-butyrolactone (78 wt %). The conductivity of this gel electrolyte is 3 × 10^?3 S cm^?1. The temperature dependence of the impedance of the Li/gel electrolyte/Li electrochemical cells is measured for electrodes of four types. The activation energies for the charge transfer at the Li/electrolyte interface are calculated. It is found that, after treating the test lithium electrodes with 15-crown-5, the charge transfer resistance decreases, and in the case of the modified lithium surface, the activation energy for the process decreases by 1.8 times.     

Recent developments of charge injection and charge transfer in DNA

The question of whether and how electrons migrate through DNA was a matter of controversial discussion over the last ten years. Today, there is no doubt that long distance charge migration through DNA exists and most scientists explain this process by a multistep hopping mechanism. This feature article presents recent developments of our group on the injection of a positive charge into DNA bases and the transfer of the charge between the DNA bases. The influence of the donor, the nature of the bridge, and the distance between the donor and the acceptor are discussed.     

Sequence dependence of charge transport properties of DNA

The electrical conduction through three short oligomers (26 base pairs, 8 nm long) with differing numbers of GC base pairs was measured. One strand is poly(A)-poly(T), which is entirely devoid of GC base pairs. Of the two additional strands, one contains 8 and the other 14 GC base pairs. The oligomers were adsorbed on a gold substrate on one side and to a gold nanoparticle on the other side. Conducting atomic force microscope was used for obtaining the current versus voltage curves. We found that in all cases the DNA behaves as a wide band-gap semiconductor, with width depending on the number of GC base pairs. As this number increases, the band-gap narrows. For applied voltages exceeding the band-gap, the current density rises dramatically. The rise becomes sharper with increasing number of GC base pairs, reaching more than 1 nA/nm2 for the oligomer containing 14 GC pairs.     

Physical aspects of charge transfer theory

The possible shapes of the ground (U_I) and first excited (U_II) adiabatic potentials are discussed in connection with the electron transfer problem. If U_I has two minima the electron transfer process is adiabatic, regardless of the value of the gap 2Γ between U_I and U_II; the transfer rate W has the form W = B exp(?E_A/T), the pre-exponential factor B can be influenced by the size of the gap, especially when Γ is small. For the fluctuation model of the medium in the case of purely adiabatic transfer (large Γ) the value of W corresponds to diffusional penetration through the potential barrier. A barrier of arbitrary shape is considered and an expression for W obtained, which matches with the corresponding expression for the “hindered adiabatic” case of small Γ.     

Size and charge dependence of binding by azacyclophanes

Tetrameric and hexameric azacyclophanes, water soluble in the acidic or in the full pH range, and bearing functional side chains are shown to bind aromatic molecules or transition metal ions. The effect of the macrocycle size and charge on binding is investigated.     

Temperature dependence of charge recombination in Heliobacillus mobilis

Transient absorption difference spectroscopy was used to study the temperature dependence of the P798+ decay kinetics in heliobacteria. For membrane samples, two components were obtained from the fitting of kinetic traces in the temperature range of 4-29 degrees C. A 3-9 ms component representing the cytochrome (cyt) c oxidation has an activation energy of 33.0 +/- 2.8 kJ/mol. A 12-22 ms component representing either P798+FX- or P798+FA/B- recombination has an activation energy of 15.3 +/- 2.4 kJ/mol. In isolated reaction centers (RC), only one 14 ms component due to P798+FX- recombination was obtained in this temperature range. The Arrhenius plot shows that the recombination rate of this P798+FX- state is temperature independent in the near room temperature range. For RC in the temperature range of 60-298 K, a 12-15 ms decay was obtained at temperatures greater than 240 K. Biphasic decay traces (12-15 ms and 2-4 ms components) were obtained at temperatures between 170 K and 230 K. Only one 2-4 ms component was found at temperatures lower than 160 K. The gradual switchover from the 12-15 ms to the 2-4 ms component upon cooling may indicate the shift of the P798+FX- recombination state to a state that is prior to P798+FX-, although other interpretations can not be excluded. The absorption difference spectrum (delta A @ 160 K - delta A @ 240 K) in the blue region shows a positive amplitude below 405 nm and a negative amplitude above 405 nm implying that the 2-4 ms decay component may be due to the recombination of P798+A1-, where A1 is a quinone-type acceptor.     

Sequence dependence of charge transport through DNA domains

Here we examine the photooxidation of two kinetically fast electron hole traps, N4-cyclopropylcytosine (CPC) and N2-cyclopropylamine-guanosine (CPG), incorporated in DNA duplexes of various sequence using different photooxidants. DNA oxidation studies are carried out either with noncovalently bound [Ru(phen)(dppz)(bpy')]3+ (dppz = dipyridophenazine) and [Rh(phi)2(bpy)]3+ (phi = phenanthrenequinone diimine) or with anthraquinone tethered to DNA. Because the cyclopropylamine-substituted bases decompose rapidly upon oxidation, their efficiency of decomposition provides a measure of relative hole localization. Consistent with a higher oxidation potential for CPC versus CPG in DNA, CPC decomposes with photooxidation by [Rh(phi)2(bpy)]3+, while CPG undergoes ring-opening both with photoexcited [Rh(phi)2(bpy)]3+ and with [Ru(phen)(dppz)(bpy')]3+. Anthraquinone-modified DNA assemblies of identical base composition but different base sequence are also probed. Single and double base substitutions within adenine tracts modulate CPC decomposition. In fact, the entire sequence within the DNA assembly is seen to govern CPC oxidation, not simply the bases intervening between CPC and the tethered photooxidant. These data are reconciled in the context of a mechanistic model of conformationally gated charge transport through delocalized DNA domains. Photooxidations of anthraquinone-modified DNA assemblies containing both CPC and CPG, but with varied distances separating the modified bases, point to a domain size of at least three bases. Our model for DNA charge transport is distinguished from polaron models. In our model, delocalized domains within the base pair stack form transiently based upon sequence-dependent DNA structure and dynamics. Given these results, DNA charge transport is indeed remarkably sensitive to DNA sequence and structure.