Probing Surfactant Bilayer Interactions by Tracking Optically Trapped Single Nanoparticles

Single-particle tracking and optical tweezers are powerful techniques for studying diverse processes at the microscopic scale. The stochastic behavior of a particle contains information about its interaction with surrounding molecules, an tweezer can further facilitate this observation ability to constrain area interest. Although these found their initial applications in biology, they also shed new light on interface phenomena by unveiling nanoscale morphologies molecular-level interactions real time, which obscured traditional ensemble analysis. Here, application single-particle demonstrated molecular solid–liquid interfaces. Specifically, surfactant behaviors water–glass investigated tracing gold nanoparticles that optically trapped molecules. underlying mechanisms governing motion, be explained hydrophobic interactions, disruptions, rearrangements among monomers interfaces, discovered. These interpretations supported statistical analysis individual trajectory comparison theoretical predictions. findings provide insights into dynamics illustrate promise manipulation physics chemistry surfaces