Direct Electrical Measurements on Single-Molecule Genomic DNA Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

• Published in: Nano letters 2008-01, Vol.8 (1), p.26-30
• Main Authors: Roy, Somenath, Vedala, Harindra, Roy, Aparna Datta, Kim, Do-hyun, Doud, Melissa, Mathee, Kalai, Shin, Hoon-kyu, Shimamoto, Nobuo, Prasad, Viswanath, Choi, Wonbong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Channels; Covalence; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA - chemistry; Drains; Electrochemistry - methods; Electrodes; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genomics; Materials science; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon; Others; Physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Various methods and equipments; Volt-ampere characteristics
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl0716451

A unique nanoelectronic platform, based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), has been fabricated for measuring electrical transport in single-molecule DNA. We have tested 80 base pairs of single- and double-stranded DNA (ssDNA and dsDNA, respectively) of complex base sequences. About a 25−40 pA current (at 1 V) was measured for the dsDNA molecule covalently attached to the SWNT electrode at its termini. In the absence of base pair stacking, a ssDNA carries a feeble current of ∼1 pA or less. Gate-voltage-dependent I − V characteristics revealed that the bridging dsDNA molecule acts as a p-type channel between SWNT source and drain electrodes.