Nanoscale electrical conductivity of the purple membrane monolayer
Casuso, Ignacio (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)
Fumagalli, Laura (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)
Samitier, J. (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)
Padrós, Esteve (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular)
Reggiani, L. (Università di Lecce. Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione)
Akimov, V. (Università di Lecce. Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione)
Gomila, G. (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)

Date:	2007
Abstract:	Nanoscale electron transport through the purple membrane monolayer, a two-dimensional crystal lattice of the transmembrane protein bacteriorhodopsin, is studied by conductive atomic force microscopy. We demonstrate that the purple membrane exhibits nonresonant tunneling transport, with two characteristic tunneling regimes depending on the applied voltage (direct and Fowler-Nordheim). Our results show that the purple membrane can carry significant current density at the nanometer scale, several orders of magnitude larger than previously estimated by macroscale measurements.
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Physical review. E : Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, Vol. 76, Number 4 (October 2007) , p. 041919/1-041919/5, ISSN 1539-3755

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.76.041919

5 p, 283.2 KB

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