Electron transport through protein chains interfacing nanoribbon and nanotube leads

This research provides an examination of the current–voltage properties of protein chains linked to zigzag carbon nanotubes and corresponding metallic armchair graphene nanoribbon leads, utilizing the tight-binding Hamiltonian method alongside the Landauer–Büttiker framework. The observed current–voltage behavior shows considerable potential for distinguishing different protein profiles, especially regarding their transmission probabilities, which include both normal and mutant variants. The findings also reveal that the current–voltage characteristics are influenced the electrode’s type, its size, and the temperature at which it operates, showing a marginally higher current with zigzag nanotubes in comparison to nanoribbon electrodes. Given that the electronic transport properties are expected to be closely related to protein structure, these results could promote further investigation into their biological implications.