Long-range donor-acceptor electron transport mediated by α helices

Brizhik, L.S.; Luo, J.; Piette, B.M.A.G.; Zakrzewski, W.J.

Abstract

We study the long-range electron and energy transfer mediated by a polaron on an α-helix polypeptide chain coupled to donor and acceptor molecules at opposite ends of the chain. We show that for specific parameters of the system, an electron initially located on the donor can tunnel onto the α helix, forming a polaron, which then travels to the other extremity of the polypeptide chain, where it is captured by the acceptor. We consider three families of couplings between the donor, the acceptor, and the chain and show that one of them can lead to a 90% efficiency of the electron transport from donor to acceptor. We also show that this process remains stable at physiological temperatures in the presence of thermal fluctuations in the system.

Citation

Brizhik, L., Luo, J., Piette, B., & Zakrzewski, W. (2019). Long-range donor-acceptor electron transport mediated by α helices. Physical Review E, 100(6), Article 062205. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.100.062205

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 3, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 19, 2019
• Publication Date: Dec 19, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jan 8, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 8, 2020
• Journal: Physical Review E
• Print ISSN: 2470-0045
• Electronic ISSN: 2470-0053
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 100
• Issue: 6
• Article Number: 062205
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.100.062205
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1274462