Inter-aromatic distances in Geobacter sulfurreducens pili relevant to biofilm charge transport

Abstract

Geobacter sulfurreducens pili are ­implicated in facilitating electron transfer to electrode surfaces. Comparisons are made between the conductivity of pili and that of doped organic semi­conductors, invoking mechanisms such as “electron hopping” or “metallic conduction”. Ana­lysis of inter-aromatic distances in these pili models shows that charge-carrier transport involving only the π-conjugated system of GS pili is negligible.