Electronic coupling between Watson–Crick pairs for hole transfer and transport in desoxyribonucleic acid

Electronic matrix elements for hole transfer between Watson–Crick pairs in desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of regular structure, calculated at the Hartree–Fock level, are compared with the corresponding intrastrand and interstrand matrix elements estimated for models comprised of just two nucleobases. The hole transfer matrix element of the GAG trimer duplex is calculated to be larger than that of the GTG duplex. “Through-space” interaction between two guanines in the trimer duplexes is comparable with the coupling through an intervening Watson–Crick pair. The gross features of bridge specificity and directional asymmetry of the electronic matrix elements for hole transfer between purine nucleobases in superstructures of dimer and trimer duplexes have been discussed on the basis of the quantum chemical calculations. These results have also been analyzed with a semiempirical superexchange model for the electronic coupling in DNA duplexes of donor (nuclobases)–acceptor, which incorporates adjacent base–base el...