# Detection of long-range electrostatic interactions between charged molecules by means of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

## TL;DR

This study demonstrates that Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy can experimentally detect long-range electrostatic interactions between charged molecules in solution, confirmed by both experiments and Molecular Dynamics simulations.

## Contribution

It provides the first experimental evidence of detecting long-range electrostatic interactions using FCS, supported by molecular dynamics simulations.

## Key findings

- FCS can detect electrostatic interactions between charged molecules
- Diffusion coefficients vary with ionic strength and concentration
- Experimental results align with molecular dynamics simulations

## Abstract

The present paper deals with an experimental feasibility study concerning the detection of long- range intermolecular interactions through molecular diffusion behavior in solution. This follows previous analyses, theoretical and numerical, where it was found that inter-biomolecular long-range force fields of electrodynamic origin could be detected through deviations from Brownian diffusion. The suggested experimental technique was Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS). By con- sidering two oppositely charged molecular species in watery solution, that is, Lysozyme protein and a fluorescent dye molecule (Alexa488), the diffusion coefficient of the dye has been measured by means of the FCS technique at different values of the concentration of Lysozyme molecules, that is, at different average distances between the oppositely charged molecules. For the model consid- ered long-range interactions are built-in as electrostatic forces, the action radius of which can be varied by changing the ionic strength of the solution. The experimental outcomes clearly prove the detectability of long-range intermolecular interactions by means of the FCS technique. Molecular Dynamics simulations provide a clear and unambiguous interpretation of the experimental results.