Exploring nanostructured systems with single-molecule probes: From nanoporous materials to living cells

Abstract

Molecular movement in confined spaces is of broad scientific and technological importance in areas ranging from molecular sieving and membrane separation to active transport along intracellular networks. Whereas measurements of ensemble diffusion provide information about the overall behavior of the guests in a nanoporous host, tracking of individual molecules provides insight into both the heterogeneity and the mechanistic details of the molecular diffusion, as well as into the structure of the host.