Ag₂O doped SnSe: A highly discriminative sensor material for DNA sequencing

A DNA nucleobase sensor with high selectivity is of paramount importance for disease diagnosis, genetic analysis, and biological research. This study investigates the impact of incorporating Ag2O on the adsorption behavior of SnSe monolayer with four DNA nucleobases. Ag2O incorporation improves the conductivity of SnSe (87%) and increases the E-ads of DNA nucleobases by 199% (A), 122% (C), 108% (G), and 181% (T). Analysis of ED and EDD reveals the distribution of electrons on nucleobases and SnSe-Ag2O monolayer and their activity trajectories during the adsorption process. Furthermore, desorption times were calculated, and at 698 K, all systems exhibited desorption times less than 7.1 h, indicating the potential of SnSe-Ag2O monolayer as a reusable material for nucleobase sensors. Additionally, the dielectric constant of solvents was found to be proportional to the adsorption strength and differentiation ability of the adsorbent towards different DNA nucleobases. Finally, comparisons with recent references validate the exceptional performance of the material used in this study. The remarkable nucleobase differentiation ability endows SnSe-Ag2O monolayer with immense potential in DNA sequencing technology.