Transverse Conductance of DNA Nucleotides in a Graphene Nanogap from First Principles

• The fabrication of nanopores in atomically thin graphene has recently been achieved, and translocation of DNA has been demonstrated. Taken together with an earlier proposal to use graphene nanogaps for the purpose of DNA sequencing, this approach can resolve the technical problem of achieving single-base resolution in electronic nucleobase detection. We have theoretically evaluated the performance of a graphene nanogap setup for the purpose of whole-genome sequencing, by employing density functional theory and the nonequilibrium Green's function method to investigate the transverse conductance properties of nucleotides inside the gap. In particular, we determined the electrical tunneling current variation at finite bias due to changes in the nucleotides orientation and lateral position. Although the resulting tunneling current is found to fluctuate over several orders of magnitude, a distinction between the four DNA bases appears possible, thus ranking the approach promising for rapid whole-genome sequencing applications.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

DNA sequencing

graphene

nanogap

ab initio

electronic transport

molecular electronics

Chemical physics

Kemisk fysik

Fysik med inriktning mot atom- molekyl- och kondenserande materiens fysik

Physics with spec. in Atomic, Molecular and Condensed Matter Physics

Chemistry

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)