Ionic correlations at the nanoscale: inversion of selectivity in a bio-nanochannel

Abstract

Here we show, combining a simulation and theoretical study, that electrostatic correlations typical of multivalent ions can reverse the selectivity of a biological nanochannel. Our results provide a physical mechanism for a new, experimentally observed phenomenon, namely the inversion of the selectivity of a bacterial porin (the E. Coli OmpF) in presence of divalent and trivalent cations. Also, the differences and similarities between the driving force for this phenomenon and other similar nano and micro-escale electrokinetic effects (e.g. inversion of streaming current in silica nanochannels) are explored.

References in corpus (5)

• Electrostatic correlations: from Plasma to Biology
• Statics and Dynamics of Strongly Charged Soft Matter
• Bjerrum pairing correlations at charged interfaces
• The many origins of charge inversion in electrolyte solutions: effects of discrete interfacial charges
• Ionic partition and transport in multi-ionic channels: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation study of the OmpF bacterial porin

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Ionic partition and transport in multi-ionic channels: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation study of the OmpF bacterial porin
• Effects of image charges, interfacial charge discreteness, and surface roughness on the zeta potential of spherical electric double layers