Thermal stability of the solid DNA as a novel optical material

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been extensively exploited for the past decade as the matrix material in organic electronics and nonlinear optics. In this work thermal stability of DNA in solid form was thoroughly studied, mainly by optical methods. Solid samples of low molecular mass DNA were subjected to heating according to different protocols and dissolved. The temperature effect was observed in the evolution of UV absorption and circular dichroism spectra. Thin films of DNA were deposited on polished silicon wafers. They were conditioned at consecutively raised temperature and simultaneously measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Changes in chemical composition of thermally treated films were studied by XPS. Below 100 °C all thermal effects were reversible. Melting occurred at c.a.140 °C. Irreversible chemical changes probably occurred at 170-180 °C.