Can one define the conductance of amino acids?

Can one define the conductance of amino acids?

Zotti, Linda A. (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Bednarz, Beatrice (Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft; Student TU Delft)
Hurtado-Gallego, Juan (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Cabosart, D.C.N. (TU Delft QN/van der Zant Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Rubio-Bollinger, Gabino (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Agrait, Nicolas (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid)
van der Zant, H.S.J. (TU Delft QN/van der Zant Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)

2019

We studied the electron-transport properties of ten different amino acids and one dimer (di-methionine) using the mechanically controlled break-junction (MCBJ) technique. For methionine and cysteine, additional measurements were performed with the scanning tunneling microscope break-junction (STM-BJ) technique. By means of a statistical clustering technique, we identified several conductance groups for each of the molecules considered. Ab initio calculations revealed that the observed broad conductance distribution stems from the possibility of various binding geometries which can be formed during stretching combined with a multitude of possible conformational changes. The results suggest that it would be helpful to explore different experimental techniques such as recognition tunneling and conditions to help identify the nature of amino-acid-based junctions even further, for example, with the goal to establish a firm platform for their unambiguous recognition by tunneling break-junction experiments.

Amino acids
Biomolecular electronics
Break junctions
DFT
Electron transport
NEGF

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:b8f27d65-c923-4abc-b719-ca4cfd6124b7

https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9100580

Biomolecules, 9 (10)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2019 Linda A. Zotti, Beatrice Bednarz, Juan Hurtado-Gallego, D.C.N. Cabosart, Gabino Rubio-Bollinger, Nicolas Agrait, H.S.J. van der Zant