Optical applications of marine DNA

DNA-CTMA solutions in ethanol doped by various azobenzene compounds were prepared and their absorbance transition by UV irradiation was measured. It was found that trans-cis transition of azobenzene and azobenzene4,4'-dicarboxylic acid diethyl ester(ADCDE) took place in the DNA-CTMA solution. The speed of trans-cis transition of the solution for both azobenzene and ADCDE to DNA-CTMA did not depend on the amount of doping. DNA-CTMA films doped by azobenzene and ADCDE were prepared and their absorbance transition by UV irradiation were measured. Consequently, trans-cis transition was observed only by only the films doped by azobenzene and was not observed for the films doped by ADCDE. It was found that the trans-cis transition of DNA-CTMA films doped by azobenzene (100: 1) was faster than PMMA films doped by the same amount of azobenzene. It is presumed that the faster transition speed may be ascribed to the reasons that azobenzene molecules were isolated by intercalation to DNA and increase in the spatial flexibility of azobenzene molecules when compared with the PMMA.