Publications [#231899] of David N. Beratan

Journal Articles

  1. Wierzbinski, E; de Leon, A; Yin, X; Balaeff, A; Davis, KL; Rapireddy, S; Venkatramani, R; Keinan, S; Ly, DH; Madrid, M; Beratan, DN; Achim, C; Waldeck, DH, "Effect of backbone flexibility on charge transfer rates in peptide nucleic acid duplexes.", Journal of the American Chemical SocietyJune,, 2012, 134(22), 9335-9342 [22548314], [doi].
    (last updated on 2024/03/29)

    Abstract:
    Charge transfer (CT) properties are compared between peptide nucleic acid structures with an aminoethylglycine backbone (aeg-PNA) and those with a γ-methylated backbone (γ-PNA). The common aeg-PNA is an achiral molecule with a flexible structure, whereas γ-PNA is a chiral molecule with a significantly more rigid structure than aeg-PNA. Electrochemical measurements show that the CT rate constant through an aeg-PNA bridging unit is twice the CT rate constant through a γ-PNA bridging unit. Theoretical calculations of PNA electronic properties, which are based on a molecular dynamics structural ensemble, reveal that the difference in the CT rate constant results from the difference in the extent of backbone fluctuations of aeg- and γ-PNA. In particular, fluctuations of the backbone affect the local electric field that broadens the energy levels of the PNA nucleobases. The greater flexibility of the aeg-PNA gives rise to more broadening, and a more frequent appearance of high-CT rate conformations than in γ-PNA.