Single-molecule force spectroscopy reveals cation-π interactions in aqueous media are highly affected by cation dehydration

• Main Authors: Di, Weishuai, Xue, Kai, Cai, Jun, Zhu, Zhenshu, Li, Zihan, Fu, Hui, Lei, Hai, Hu, Wenbing, Tang, Chun, Wang, Wei, Cao, Yi
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Science::Physics; Aqueous Media; Binding Mechanisms
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/169314
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Cation-π interactions underlie many important processes in biology and materials science. However, experimental investigations of cation-π interactions in aqueous media remain challenging. Here, we studied the cation-π binding strength and mechanism by pulling two hydrophobic polymers with distinct...