Dynamics of Charge Injection and Charge Recombination in DNA Mini-Hairpins

Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, Michelle A. Harris, Ryan M. Young, Michael R. Wasielewski*, Frederick D. Lewis

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Steady state spectroscopy, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fsTA), and femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) of DNA mini-hairpins possessing a diphenylacetylenedicarboxamide (DPA) linker and 1-3 adenine-thymine (A-T) or guanine-cytosine (G-C) base pairs have been investigated. Ultraviolet and circular dichroism (UV and CD) spectra are consistent with ground state conformations that are predominantly base-paired and π-stacked for conjugates possessing two or three base pairs; however, they offer no information concerning the conformation of conjugates possessing a single base pair. fsTA spectra are indicative of π-stacked structures excepted in the case of the conjugate possessing a single G-C base pair. All of the conjugates display transient absorption bands characteristic of the DPA-. anion radical. Conjugates possessing two or three G-C base pairs display a transient absorption band characteristic of the short-lived G+• cation radical. The mini-hairpins with 1-3 A-T base pairs do not display the transient absorption band characteristic of the (An+•) polaron. This implies that an A-tract with three base pairs is too short to support polaron formation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7042-7047
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume121
Issue number29
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 27 2017

Funding

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division under Awards DE-FG02-96ER14604 (F.D.L.) and DE-FG02-99ER14999 (M.R.W).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Materials Chemistry

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