Comparison of Single and Double Stranded Dna Binding to Polypyrrole.

Abstract

AbstractThe polycation conducting polymer, oxidized polypyrrole (PPy), possesses the ability to form complexes with DNA. Our previously proposed diffusion limited binding model for double helical DNA was also found to be applicable to single stranded DNA in this study. Single stranded DNA was found to bind PPy at a nearly identical level to that of double helical DNA. An investigation of electropolymerized PPy film morphology using SEM revealed two distinctly differing surface morphologies for the Platinum (Pt) electrode face (smooth) and polymeric growth face (rough). The DNA uptake levels were found to be consistently different on either surface, being higher on the rough surface. DNA penetrated into the disk interior with increasing time periods of exposure while a similar phenomenon but to a lesser extent was observed for single stranded DNA.