Publication - Understanding the disorder of the DNA base cytosine on the Au(111) surface

Understanding the disorder of the DNA base cytosine on the Au(111) surface

Research Area:	Surface science and nanoscience	Year:	2008
Type of Publication:	Article	Keywords:	Cytosine,chemistry DNA,chemistry Dimerization Gold,chemistry Kinetics Nanotechnology Quantum Theory Surface Properties
Authors:	R. E. Kelly M. Lukas L. N. Kantorovich R. Otero W. Xu M. Mura E. Laegsgaard I. Stensgaard F. Besenbacher
Journal:	J Chem Phys	Volume:	129
Number:	18	Pages:	184707


Note:
Nov 14
Abstract:
Using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and ab initio density functional theory, we have investigated in detail structures formed by cytosine on the Au(111) surface in clean ultrahigh vacuum conditions. In spite of the fact that the ground state of this DNA base on the surface is shown to be an ordered arrangement of cytosine one-dimensional branches (filaments), this structure has never been observed in our STM experiments. Instead, disordered structures are observed, which can be explained by only a few elementary structural motifs: filaments, five- and sixfold rings, which randomly interconnect with each other forming bent chains, T junctions, and nanocages. The latter may have trapped smaller structures inside. The formation of such an unusual assembly is explained by simple kinetic arguments as a liquid-glass transition.
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