Hou Kuan Lee

Graduation Semester and Year

2009

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

Department

Materials Science and Engineering

First Advisor

Michael Jin

Abstract

The charge transport mechanisms in DNA proposed in the literature cover broad range of possibilities including molecular band conduction, superexchange, multistep hole hopping, and polaron hopping. The reason for the surprisingly diverse results is all the variables in the experiments - DNA sequence, DNA characteristic (single molecule or bundle, DNA length), the metal/DNA contacts, and the environmental dissimilarities in temperature, humidity, etc. In this study, the humidity effect on the electrical conduction in DNA was systematically investigated in a humidity chamber over the wide range of DC voltage. The exponential increase in conduction with increasing humidity was observed for the natural DNA thin-film, and it was attributed to the protonic conduction by the electrolysis of water. In addition, the negative differential resistance was measured in highly hydrated DNA films. The detailed analysis revealed that it was caused by the slow diffusion of water molecules on the surface of DNA molecules.

Disciplines

Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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