DNA charge transport: Moving beyond 1D

•Emerging structural motifs allow the design of 2D and 3D nucleic acid structures for charge transfer.•Effective charge flow through nucleic acid junctions relies on strong base stacking at the junctions.•Favorable base stacking in novel junction structures can be enhanced by molecular insertions in the nucleic acid backbone.

Charge transport across novel DNA junctions has been studied for several decades. From early attempts to move charge across DNA double crossover junctions to recent studies on DNA three-way junctions and G4 motifs, it is becoming clear that efficient cross-junction charge migration requires strong base-to-base electronic coupling at the junction, facilitated by favorable pi-stacking. We review recent progress toward the goal of manipulating and controlling charge transport through DNA junctions.

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