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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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Published on: July 21, 2023
Adsorption of calf thymus DNA on Au(110) studied by reflection anisotropy spectroscopy
M Consuelo Cuquerella1, Caroline I Smith, David G Fernig
1Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, and School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Reflection anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) was used to investigate the adsorption of single-stranded (ss-) and double-stranded (ds-) calf thymus DNA on Au(110) in an electrochemical cell. Both types of DNA form ordered structures for electrode potentials in the range from +0.6 to -0.4 V. Both types of DNA desorb at -0.6 V and may start desorbing at lower negative potentials. When adsorbed at +0.6 V, both forms give rise to a similar RAS signal and adsorb through the phosphate groups. As the potential is reduced, the RAS intensity observed from ss-DNA increases to roughly twice that observed from ds-DNA, a result that is interpreted as due to a change in the adsorption of the ss-DNA from sites involving the phosphate groups to sites involving the bases.
