Fabrication of Hg nanoparticles (NPs) templated on plasmid DNA has been investigated here. The Hg NPs get embedded inside the DNA scaffold through local melting of double helix due to the strong and exclusive interaction of the NPs with the nitrogen of the nucleic acid bases. The interaction of the Hg NPs with the guanine-cytosine base pair sites is responsible for the formation of two Hg metal-base complexes that can find application as the signature of ion-DNA interactions. The modifications in the transport properties of metal conjugated DNA can be utilized as sensor for mercury contamination.
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