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Science 1 March 1974:
Vol. 183. no. 4127, pp. 853 - 855
DOI: 10.1126/science.183.4127.853
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Articles

Amorphous Semiconductor Switching in Melanins

John McGinness 1, Peter Corry 1, and Peter Proctor 1

1 Physics Department, University of Texas Cancer Center, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston 77025

Melanins produced synthetically and isolated from biological systems act as an amorphous semiconductor threshold switch. Switching occurs reversibly at potential gradients two to three orders of magnitude lower than reported for inorganic thin films, and comparable to gradients existing in some biological systems. Of a number of other biological materials tested, only cytochrome c acted similarly, but at the high potential gradients reported for thin film amorphous semiconductors.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Melanin Production and Use as a Soluble Electron Shuttle for Fe(III) Oxide Reduction and as a Terminal Electron Acceptor by Shewanella algae BrY.
C. E. Turick, L. S. Tisa, and F. Caccavo Jr. (2002)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 68, 2436-2444
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Function of Melanin.
P. H. Proctor and J. E. McGinness (1986)
Arch Dermatol 122, 507-508
   Abstract »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)