Control of electrical conduction in DNA using oxygen hole doping

Abstract

Using oxygen adsorption experiments on poly (dG)-poly (dC) DNA molecules, we found that their conductance can be easily controlled by several orders of magnitudes using oxygen hole doping, which is a characteristic behavior of a p-type semiconductor. It also suggests that the conductance of the DNA under doping results from charge carrier transport, not from an ionic conduction. On the other hand, we will also show that the poly (dA)-poly (dT) DNA molecules behave as an n-type semiconductor. This letter demonstrates that the concentration and the type of carriers in the DNA molecules could be controlled using proper doping methods.