Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Novel Silver-Containing DNA Molecules

The quest for a suitable molecule to pave the way to molecular nano-electronics has been met with obstacles for over a decade. Candidate molecules such as carbon nanotubes lack the appealing trait of self-assembly, while DNA lacks the desirable feature of conductivity. Silver-containing poly(G)-poly(C) DNA (E-DNA¹) molecules were recently reported as promising candidates for molecular electronics, owing to the selectivity of their metallization, their uniform structure, their stability, their resistance to deformation, and their most possible conductivity. Here we present an elaborate temperature dependent high-resolution morphology characterization of these unique molecules, alongside a detailed depiction of their electronic level structure. Our findings were acquired by use of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The energy levels found for E-DNA indicate a novel, truly hybrid metal-molecule structure. These findings² add substantially to our knowledge about E-DNA molecules, leading to a further understanding of these molecules’ conductive properties, bringing about their attractiveness as nanowires.

1. Eidelshtein G, Fardian‐Melamed N, Gutkin V, Basmanov D, Klinov D, Rotem D, Levi‐Kalisman Y, Porath D, Kotlyar A. Synthesis and Properties of Novel Silver‐Containing DNA Molecules. Advanced Materials. 2016.

2. Fardian-Melamed N, Eidelshtein G, Zhuravel R, Rotem D, Kotlyar A, Porath D. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Novel Silver-Containing DNA Molecules. (In Preparation).