Hall transport of divalent metal ion modified DNA lattices

Abstract

We investigate the Hall transport characteristics of double-crossover divalent metal ion (Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Co2+)-modified DNA (M-DNA) lattices grown on silica via substrate-assisted growth. The electronic characteristics of the M-DNA lattices are investigated by varying the concentration of the metal ions and then conducting Hall measurements, including resistivity, Hall mobility, carrier concentration, and magneto resistance. The tendency of the resistivity and Hall mobility was to initially decrease as the ion concentration increased, until reaching the saturation concentration (Cs) of each metal ion, and then to increase as the ion concentration increased further. On the other hand, the carrier concentration revealed the opposite tendency as the resistivity and Hall mobility. The specific binding (≤Cs) and the nonspecific aggregates (>Cs) of the ions into the DNA lattices were significantly affected by the Hall characteristics. The numerical ranges of the Hall parameters revealed that the M-DNA lattices with metal ions had semiconductor-like characteristics. Consequently, the distinct characteristics of the electrical transport through M-DNA lattices will provide useful information on the practical use of such structures in physical devices and chemical sensors.