Graphene nanopore devices for DNA sequencing: A tight-binding model study

TL;DR

This study models a graphene nanopore device using a tight-binding approach to analyze its potential for DNA sequencing by detecting changes in electronic transport caused by different nucleotides.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed tight-binding model and Green's function analysis to evaluate the electronic transport properties of graphene nanopores for DNA sequencing.

Findings

Graphene nanopores show distinct electronic signals for different nucleotides.

The device can potentially be used for reliable DNA sequencing.

Transport properties are sensitive to nucleotide insertion.

Abstract

We present a tight-binding model study of a two-terminal graphene nanopore device for sequential determination of DNA bases. Using Green's function technique we investigate the changes in electronic transport properties of the device due to insertion of different nucleotides into the nanopore created within a zigzag graphene nanoribbon. First we try to characterise the device in static condition and then go for sequencing application by setting the bias across it to a specific voltage and then recording the characteristic current signals corresponding to each nucleotides of a translocating DNA. Our investigations show that graphene nanopores can certainly become very efficient and reliable for sequencing applications in future.