Voltage-induced long-range coherent electron transfer through organic molecules.

ABSTRACT: Biological structures rely on kinetically tuned charge transfer reactions for energy conversion, biocatalysis, and signaling as well as for oxidative damage repair. Unlike man-made electrical circuitry, which uses metals and semiconductors to direct current flow, charge transfer in living systems proceeds via biomolecules that are nominally insulating. Long-distance charge transport, which is observed routinely in nucleic acids, peptides, and proteins, is believed to arise from a sequence of thermally activated hopping steps. However, a growing number of experiments find limited temperature dependence for electron transfer over tens of nanometers. To account for these observations, we propose a temperature-independent mechanism based on the electric potential difference that builds up alon

SUBMITTER: Michaeli K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6442562 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature