Collaborative Research: Direct Charge Transfer in Metal Containing Peptide Nucleic Acid Assemblies

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In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Catalina Achim of Carnegie Mellon University, David Waldeck of University of Pittsburgh, and David Beratan of Duke University will develop hybrid inorganic-nucleic acid structures and study charge transfer through these structures with the goal to direct and control charge flow on length scales up to tens of nanometers. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) building blocks that contain electroactive units will be used, together with complementary nucleic acids (DNA or PNA) as a template for the building blocks, to self-assemble and form preprogrammed electroactive assemblies. The key feature of the proposed research is the general and modular approach to incorporate inorganic or organic charge transfer components at predefined spatial locations in a nucleic acid-based structural scaffold. The team of researchers with complementary expertise (synthesis, characterization, and theory) will collaborate to define the synthetic methodologies, to develop the predictive models, and to quantify the structure and the function of these novel electroactive, supramolecular structures. The broader impacts of this collaborative research program originate from: (1) the creation of new paradigms for charge transfer, (2) the creation of new pedagogical tools for science education that make use of cyber-infrastructure, and (3) outreach activities that enhance diversity in the STEM workforce. This work will enhance our fundamental understanding of charge transfer in nano-size, supramolecular structures that mimic similar-size structures present in biological systems. Ultimately such work could lead to a general approach for integrating electronic platforms with biological systems.