Title :
Photoconduction in bacteriorhodopsin/GaAs heterostructures
Author :
Xu, J. ; Bhattacharya, P. ; Marcy, D.L. ; Stuart, J.A. ; Birge, R.R.
Author_Institution :
Solid State Electron. Lab., Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI, USA
fDate :
5/10/2001 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Observation of transient and steady-state photoconduction across an indium tin oxide (ITO)/bacteriorhodopsin(bR)/GaAs heterostructure, with the bacteriorhodopsin acting as the light-sensitive material, is reported. The protein is dissolved in polyvinyl alcohol and the film dried after deposition. The steady state photoconduction is probably caused by the pH change at the bR/ITO interface owing to proton release from the bR upon photoexcitation, and is therefore an electrochemical effect
Keywords :
biomolecular electronics; gallium arsenide; molecular biophysics; pH; photoconductivity; photoelectrochemistry; proteins; 632 nm; ITO-Au-GaAs-AuGe-Ni-Au; ITO/bacteriorhodopsin/GaAs heterostructure; InSnO-Au-GaAs-AuGe-Ni-Au; bacteriorhodopsin/GaAs heterostructures; electrochemical effect; light-sensitive material; pH change; photoexcitation; polyvinyl alcohol; protein dissolution; proton release; steady-state photoconduction; transient photoconduction;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el:20010426
