Morphology of DNA polyelectrolyte chains in different salt environment
DNA polyelectrolytes are sensitive to environmental changes around them such as pH, temperature, presence of various salts, type of solvent etc. These factors significantly influence the chain morphology and conformation of the in the solution. Our research focuses on understanding the morphological changes of the DNA chains when grafted on spherical surfaces (gold nanoparticles) under different salt environments. Our work seeks to uncover the specific interaction mechanisms, such as electrostatic interactions, ion-bridging, and groove binding, that are characteristic of different inorganic (monovalent and multivalent) cations and organic salts (ionic liquids) with DNA chains. To investigate these morphological changes, we employ a range of experimental techniques, including Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Tunnelling electron microscopy (TEM), and Fluorescence spectroscopy.
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