title: Localized opto-mechanical control of protein adsorption onto carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Chemical reactions can be described by an energy diagram along a reaction coordinate in which an activation barrier limits the rate at which reactants can be transformed into products. This reaction impedance can be overcome by reducing the magnitude of the barrier through the use of catalysis, increasing the thermal energy of the system, or through macroscopic mechanical processes. Here, we demonstrate direct molecular-scale control of a reaction through the precise application of opto-mechanical work. The method uses optical gradient forces generated in the evanescent field surrounding hybrid photonic-plasmonic structures to drive an otherwise unlikely adsorption reaction between proteins and carbon nanotubes. The adsorption of immunoglobulins on carbon nanotubes is used as a model reaction and investigated with an extended DLVO theory. The technique is also used to force a Förster resonance energy transfer between fluorophores on mismatched immunoglobulin proteins and is expected to lead to novel forms of chemical synthesis.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853 USA.
authors.forename: Dakota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Dell
authors.affiliation: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853 USA.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Serey
authors.affiliation: Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853 USA.
authors.forename: Pilgyu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853 USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erickson
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002384:Catalysis; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D017785:Photons; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011506:Proteins