Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of polynucleotide adsorption

The dependence of the impedance of the electrode double layer of mercury electrode on frequency around the potentials of the tensammetric peaks of single-stranded and double-helical polynucleotides and DNA was studied. From the frequency dependence of the impedance of the electrode double layer represented in a complex plane impedance plot, the electric equivalent circuit of the electrode covered with adsorbed DNA layer was determined. It was concluded that the desorption of denatured ssDNA is accompanied by higher dielectric losses than the desorption of native dsDNA. This can be explained by the higher flexibility of ssDNA compared to the dsDNA. The capacitance peak of single-stranded polyadenylic acid (poly A) observed at pH 8 around −1.3 V splits at low frequencies in two peaks.