Itinerant electron model and conductance of DNA

Abstract

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) has recently caught the attention of chemists and physicists. A major reason for this interest is DNA's potential use in nanoelectronic devices, both as a template for assembling nanocircuits and as an element of such circuits. However, the electronic properties of the DNA molecule remain very controversial. Charge-transfer reactions and conductivity measurements show a large variety of possible electronic behavior, ranging from Anderson and bandgap insulators to effective molecular wires and induced superconductors. In this review article, we summarize the wide-ranging experimental and theoretical results of charge transport in DNA. An itinerant electron model is suggested and the effect of the density of itinerant electrons on the conductivity of DNA is studied. Calculations show that a DNA molecule may show conductivity from insulating to metallic, which explains the controversial and profuse electric characteristics of DNA to some extent.