Issue 33, 2014

Experimental and simulation studies of unusual current blockade induced by translocation of small oxidized PEG through a single nanopore

Abstract

Detection of a single macromolecule based on the use of artificial nanopores is an attractive and promising field of research. In this work, we report a device based on a 5 nm single nanopore with a high length/diameter ratio, tailored by the track etching and atomic layer deposition techniques. The translocation of neutral polyethylene glycol (PEG) and charged polyethylene glycol-carboxylate (PEG-carboxylate) molecules of low molar masses (200 and 600 g mol−1) through this nanodevice was studied. It was shown that charged PEG-carboxylate molecules, which permeate through the pore, promote an unusual blockade of ionic current whereas the neutral PEG molecules do not show such behaviour. The molecular dynamics simulation shows that both neutral and charged PEGs permeate through the nanopore close to its inner surface. The main difference between the two macromolecules is the existence of a structured shell of cations around the charged PEG, which is likely to cause the observed unusual current blockade.

Graphical abstract: Experimental and simulation studies of unusual current blockade induced by translocation of small oxidized PEG through a single nanopore

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 May 2014
Accepted
08 Jul 2014
First published
08 Jul 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 17883-17892

Experimental and simulation studies of unusual current blockade induced by translocation of small oxidized PEG through a single nanopore

S. Cabello-Aguilar, A. Abou Chaaya, F. Picaud, M. Bechelany, C. Pochat-Bohatier, S. Yesylevskyy, S. Kraszewski, M. C. Bechelany, F. Rossignol, E. Balanzat, J. M. Janot, P. Miele, P. Dejardin and S. Balme, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 17883 DOI: 10.1039/C4CP01954G

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