Kinetics of Charge Separation in Poly(A)−Poly(T) DNA Hairpins

Revisiting the Hole Size in Double Helical DNA with Localized Orbital Scaling Corrections

The extent of electronic wave function delocalization for the charge carrier (electron or hole) in double helical DNA plays an important role in determining the DNA charge transfer mechanism and kinetics. The size of the charge carrier's wave function delocalization is regulated by the solvation induced localization and the quantum delocalization among the π stacked base pairs at any instant of time. Using a newly developed localized orbital scaling correction (LOSC) density functional theory method, we accurately characterized the quantum delocalization of the hole wave function in double helical B-DNA. This approach can be used to diagnose the extent of delocalization in fluctuating DNA structures. Our studies indicate that the hole state tends to delocalize among 4 guanine-cytosine (GC) base pairs and among 3 adenine-thymine (AT) base pairs when these adjacent bases fluctuate into degeneracy. The relatively small delocalization in AT base pairs is caused by the weaker π-π interaction. This extent of delocalization has significant implications for assessing the role of coherent, incoherent, or flickering coherent carrier transport in DNA.

The Dynamics of Hole Transfer in DNA

High-energy radiation and oxidizing agents can ionize DNA. One electron oxidation gives rise to a radical cation whose charge (hole) can migrate through DNA covering several hundreds of Å, eventually leading to irreversible oxidative damage and consequent disease. Understanding the thermodynamic, kinetic and chemical aspects of the hole transport in DNA is important not only for its biological consequences, but also for assessing the properties of DNA in redox sensing or labeling. Furthermore, due to hole migration, DNA could potentially play an important role in nanoelectronics, by acting as both a template and active component. Herein, we review our work on the dynamics of hole transfer in DNA carried out in the last decade. After retrieving the thermodynamic parameters needed to address the dynamics of hole transfer by voltammetric and spectroscopic experiments and quantum chemical computations, we develop a theoretical methodology which allows for a faithful interpretation of the kinetics of the hole transport in DNA and is also capable of taking into account sequence-specific effects.

Charge Separation and Recombination Pathways in Diblock DNA Hairpins

Achieving high-yielding photoinduced charge separation through the π-stacked bases of DNA is a critical requirement for realizing numerous DNA-based technologies. In the current work, we combine two strategies for achieving high-yield charge separation. First, a chromophore with a high driving force for charge injection, naphthalenediimide (NDI), is used because it generates hot carriers that enhance charge-transfer rates. Second, a diblock DNA sequence is used with two or three adenines followed by a series of guanines to implement an energy landscape that accelerates charge separation while retarding charge recombination. The photoinduced dynamics of these NDI diblock oligomers with and without a terminal hole acceptor are probed by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The measured rate constants for various charge separation and recombination processes are interpreted within the context of a full kinetic model of these systems. We find that the A₂ and A₃ oligomers achieve similar charge separation yields (as high as 20-25%) for a given length, yet the critical recombination process that determines these yields occurs at different distances from the NDI chromophore and on different time scales. This type of analysis could be used to predict charge separation efficiencies in candidate DNA structures.

Tracking Photoinduced Charge Separation in DNA: from Start to Finish

The initial studies of the dynamics of photoinduced charge separation conducted in our laboratories 20 years ago found strongly distance-dependent rate constants over short distances but failed to detect intermediates in the transport of positive charge (holes). These observations were consistent with the single-step superexchange or tunneling mechanism that had been observed for numerous donor-bridge-acceptor systems at that time. Subsequent studies found weak distance dependence for hole transport over longer distances in DNA, characteristic of incoherent hopping of either localized or delocalized holes. The introduction of synthetic DNA capped hairpin constructs possessing hole donor and acceptor chromophores (or purine bases) at opposite ends of a base-pair domain made it possible to determine the time required for transit of charge from one chromophore to the other and, in some cases, to distinguish between the transit time and the much faster initial charge injection time. These studies eliminated conventional tunneling as a viable mechanism for charge transport in DNA except at very short donor-acceptor separations; however, they did not establish the presence or nature of intermediates in the charge separation process. Recent studies in our laboratories have succeeded in identifying key intermediates as well as untangling the dynamics and efficiency of the charge separation process from start to finish. The dynamics of the initial charge injection process is dependent upon both its free energy and the stacking of the hole donor chromophore and adjacent purine base. The transport of positive charge (holes) over multiple base pairs in duplex DNA occurs most efficiently via repeating adenine bases, known as A-tracts. The transit time across an A-tract is strongly dependent upon the free energy for hole injection, whereas the efficiency of charge separation depends on the competition between charge delocalization and charge recombination in the contact radical ion pair. The guanine cation radical has been detected both by femtosecond transient absorption and by stimulated Raman spectroscopies when the guanine is located near the chromophore employed for hole injection into an A-tract. Replacement of guanine by its derivative 8-phenylethynylguanine (EG), permits tracking of hole transport across longer poly(purine) sequences as a consequence of the stronger transient absorption and stimulated Raman scattering for EG^+• vs G^+•. We have recently obtained evidence based on femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy for the formation of delocalized A-polarons in A-tracts possessing four or more A-T base pairs. Similar methods have been used to track hole transport across less-common DNA structures including diblock and triblock poly(purines), locked nucleic acids, three-way junctions, and G-quadruplexes. Similar methods are have been applied to the study of photoinduced electron transport in DNA.

Effect of Mg2+ cations on the dynamics and efficiency of hole transport in DNA

The effect of Mg(2+) cations on the electronic spectra and dynamics and efficiency of hole transport has been determined by means of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy for DNA hairpins possessing stilbene electron acceptor and donor chromophores. The results are compared with those obtained previously for the same hairpins in the presence of Na(+) cations and for one hairpin with no added salt. Quantum yields and rate constants for charge separation are smaller in the presence of Mg(2+) than Na(+), the largest differences being observed for the hairpins with the largest number of base pairs. Slower charge separation is attributed to minor groove binding by Mg(2+), which results in a stiffer duplex structure rather than a change in ground state geometry. Reduction in the Na(+) concentration has little effect on either the dynamics or efficiency of hole transport.

Dynamics and efficiency of photoinduced charge transport in DNA: Toward the elusive molecular wire

Experimental investigations of photoinduced charge transport in synthetic DNA capped hairpins possessing electron acceptor and donor stilbene chromophores at either end have established the mechanism, dynamics, and efficiency of charge transport in DNA. The mechanism for charge transport in repeating A-T base pairs (A-tracts) was found to change from single-step superexchange at short distances to multistep incoherent hole hopping at longer distances. The rate constants for base-to-base hole hopping in longer A- and G-tract sequences are 1.2 × 109 s–1 and 4.3 × 109 s–1, respectively, considerably slower than the rate constants associated with molecular wires. Even slower rate constants are observed for alternating or random base sequences such as those encountered in natural DNA. The efficiency of charge separation in capped hairpins with A-tract sequences is also low as a consequence of the competition of hole hopping with charge recombination. Significantly higher efficiencies for charge separation are possible using diblock purine base sequences consisting of two or three adenines followed by a larger number of guanines. The short A-block serves as a molecular rectifier, slowing down charge recombination. More efficient charge separation can also be achieved using non-natural bases or by using the triplet acceptor anthraquinone for hole injection.

Fluorescence quenching over short range in a donor-DNA-acceptor system

A new donor-DNA-acceptor system has been synthesized containing Nile red-modified 2'-deoxyuridine as charge donor and 6-N,N-dimethylaminopyrene-modified 2'-deoxyuridine as acceptor to investigate the charge transfer in DNA duplexes using fluorescence spectroscopy and time-resolved femtosecond pump-probe techniques. Fluorescence quenching experiments revealed that the quenching efficiency of Nile red depends on two components: 1) the presence of a charge acceptor and 2) the number of intervening CG and AT base pairs between donor and acceptor. Surprisingly, the quenching efficiency of two base pairs (73% for CG and the same for AT) is higher than that for one base pair (68% for CG and 37% for AT), while at a separation of three base pairs less than 10% quenching is observed. A comparison with the results of time-resolved measurements revealed a correlation between quenching efficiency and the first ultrafast time constant suggesting that quenching proceeds via a charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor. All transients are satisfactorily described with two decays: a rapid charge transfer with 600 fs (∼10(12) s(-1)) that depends strongly and in a non-linear fashion on the distance between donor and acceptor, and a slower time constant of a few picoseconds (∼10(11) s(-1)) with weak distance dependence. A third time constant on a nanosecond time scale represents the fluorescence lifetime of the donor molecule. According to these results and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations a combination of single-step superexchange and multistep hopping mechanisms can be proposed for this short-range charge transfer. Furthermore, significantly less quenching efficiency and slower charge transfer rates at very short distances indicate that the direct interaction between donor and acceptor leads to a local structural distortion of DNA duplexes which may provide some uncertainty in identifying the charge transfer rates in short-range systems.

Efficient algorithms for the simulation of non-adiabatic electron transfer in complex molecular systems: application to DNA

In this work, a fragment-orbital density functional theory-based method is combined with two different non-adiabatic schemes for the propagation of the electronic degrees of freedom. This allows us to perform unbiased simulations of electron transfer processes in complex media, and the computational scheme is applied to the transfer of a hole in solvated DNA. It turns out that the mean-field approach, where the wave function of the hole is driven into a superposition of adiabatic states, leads to over-delocalization of the hole charge. This problem is avoided using a surface hopping scheme, resulting in a smaller rate of hole transfer. The method is highly efficient due to the on-the-fly computation of the coarse-grained DFT Hamiltonian for the nucleobases, which is coupled to the environment using a QM/MM approach. The computational efficiency and partial parallel character of the methodology make it possible to simulate electron transfer in systems of relevant biochemical size on a nanosecond time scale. Since standard non-polarizable force fields are applied in the molecular-mechanics part of the calculation, a simple scaling scheme was introduced into the electrostatic potential in order to simulate the effect of electronic polarization. It is shown that electronic polarization has an important effect on the features of charge transfer. The methodology is applied to two kinds of DNA sequences, illustrating the features of transfer along a flat energy landscape as well as over an energy barrier. The performance and relative merit of the mean-field scheme and the surface hopping for this application are discussed.

Dynamics and efficiency of hole transport in LNA:DNA hybrid diblock oligomers

We report here the effect of replacing one or both of the purine or pyrimidine blocks of a diblock stilbene donor-acceptor capped hairpin with locked nucleic acid (LNA) bases on the dynamics and efficiency of hole transport. The structures of the DNA and LNA:DNA hybrids are tentatively assigned to B- or A-type structures on the basis of their circular dichroism spectra. Replacing the bases in either the A-block or the G-block of the diblock DNA hairpin with LNA bases results in a modest decrease in the base-to-base hopping rate constant and quantum yield for charge separation. Somewhat larger decreases are observed when all of the purine or pyrimidine bases are replaced by LNA bases.

Increasing the speed limit for hole transport in DNA

Transport of positive charge or holes in DNA occurs via a thermally activated multi-step hopping mechanism. The fastest hopping rates reported to date are those for repeating poly(purine) sequences in which hopping occurs via a random walk mechanism with rate constants of k(hop) = 4.3 × 10(9) s(-1) for poly(dG) and 1.2 × 10(9) s(-1) for poly(dA). We report here the dynamics of charge separation in DNA conjugates possessing repeating 7-deazaadenine (dzA) sequences. These data provide an estimated value of k(hop) = 4.2 × 10(10) s(-1) for poly(dzA), an order of magnitude faster than for poly(dG).