1. Potassium triggers a reversible specific stiffness transition of polyethylene glycol
- Author
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Tüting, Laura, Ye, Weixiang, Settanni, Giovanni, Schmid, Friederike, Wolf, Bernhard A., Ahijado Guzmán, Rubén, Sönnichsen, Carsten, Tüting, Laura, Ye, Weixiang, Settanni, Giovanni, Schmid, Friederike, Wolf, Bernhard A., Ahijado Guzmán, Rubén, and Sönnichsen, Carsten
- Abstract
We use plasmon rulers made from two connected gold nanoparticles to monitor the conformation and stiffness of single PEG molecules and their response to cations. By observing equilibrium fluctuations of the interparticle distance, we obtain the spring constants or stiffness of the connecting single-molecule tether with pico-Newton sensitivity. We observe a transition of the PEG molecules’ extension and stiffness above about 1.2 mM K+ ion concentration which is specific to potassium ions. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the formation of crown-like structures as the most likely molecular mechanism responsible for this specific effect., Depto. de Química Física, Fac. de Ciencias Químicas, TRUE, pub
- Published
- 2024