Magnetic characteristics of copper ion-modified DNA thin films

We developed a new method of fabricating a divalent copper ion (Cu(2+)) modified DNA thin film on a glass substrate and studied its magnetic properties. We evaluated the coercive field (Hc), remanent magnetization (Mr), susceptibility (χ), and thermal variation of magnetization with varying Cu(2+) concentrations [Cu(2+)] resulting in DNA thin films. Although thickness of the two dimensional DNA thin film with Cu(2+) in dry state was extremely thin (0.6 nm), significant ferromagnetic signals were observed at room temperature. The DNA thin films with a [Cu(2+)] near 5 mM showed the distinct S-shape hysteresis with appreciable high Hc, Mr and χ at low field (≤600 Oe). These were primarily caused by the presence of small magnetic dipoles of Cu(2+) coordination on the DNA molecule, through unpaired d electrons interacting with their nearest neighbors and the inter-exchange energy in the magnetic dipoles making other neighboring dipoles oriented in the same direction.