Memristive Properties of Ni–DNA Thin-Film Devices

DNA is a natural one-dimensional nanowire. However, its low electrical conductivity limits its applicability in nanoelectronics systems. To enhance conductivity, nickel ions were chelated into the DNA base-pair, forming a conductive Ni–DNA complex. In this study, we fabricated a gold thin-film device incorporating a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of Ni–DNA molecules covalently anchored to the gold electrode through Au–thiol bonds, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The electrical conductance of the Ni–DNA thin film was initially characterized by cyclic voltammetry, followed by current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The device exhibited pronounced memristive behavior, displaying a distinct resistive switching effect within the voltage range of 2–3 V. These findings highlight the potential of Ni–DNA hybrid nanostructures as functional materials for neuromorphic computing and next-generation memory technologies.