Intra-strand phosphate-mediated pathways in microsolvated double-stranded DNA.

We argue that dry DNA charge transport in molecular junctions, over distances of tens of nanometers, can take place via independent intra-strand pathways involving the phosphate groups. Such pathways explain recent single-molecule experiments that compare currents in intact and nicked 100 base-pair double-stranded DNA. We explore the conditions that favor independent intra-strand transport channels with the participation of the phosphate groups, as opposed to purely base-mediated transport involving the pi-stacked bases and inter-strand transitions.

Backbone charge transport in double-stranded DNA.

Understanding charge transport in DNA molecules is a long-standing problem of fundamental importance across disciplines. It is also of great technological interest due to DNA's ability to form versatile and complex programmable structures. Charge transport in DNA-based junctions has been reported using a wide variety of set-ups, but experiments so far have yielded seemingly contradictory results that range from insulating or semiconducting to metallic-like behaviour.