THERMALLY STIMULATED RELAXATIONS IN DNA

The thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements in frozen aqueous solutions, gels and solid layers of NaDNA show typical ly up to three dipolar overlapping peaks in the low-temperature range of 80 - 150 K. Up to four discrete relaxation peaks have been observed at higher temperatures above 150 K. The low-temperature TSDC peaks ar e due to the dipolar relaxations of free and loosely bound water which crystallizes. Part of bound water especially in the first hydration s hell of DNA molecule is at low temperatures in the form of glass. The transition of this glass from solidlike behavior to liquidlike behavio r observed mainly in gels and solid samples is associated with a previ ously founded TSDC relaxation peak. The peak is at its maximum at 165 - 250 K depending on the sample humidity. Existence of this relaxation in the samples with water contents in a broad range confirms, that th e slowly relaxing shell (minimally 5 - 7 water molecules / nucleotide) closely associated with DNA double helix retains its characteristics. Also another peak of the high-temperature band at 180 - 205 K which w as observed in the samples at hydration 2 - 1800 g H2O/g dry NaDNA is due to a relaxation in the sample volume. At the highest temperatures relax the space charges trapped at the electrodes.