Single-Molecule Frequency Fingerprint for Ion Interaction Networks in a Confined Nanopore.

The transport of molecules and ions through biological nanopores is governed by interaction networks among restricted ions, transported molecules, and residue moieties at pore inner walls. However, identification of such weak ion fluctuations from only few tens of ions inside nanopore is hard to achieve owing to electrochemical measurement limitations. Here, we developed an advanced frequency method to achieve qualitative and spectral analysis of ion interaction networks inside a nanopore. The peak frequency fm reveals the dissociation rate between nanopore and ions; the peak amplitude am depicts the amount of combined ions with the nanopore after interaction equilibrium. A mathematical model for single-molecule frequency fingerprint achieved the prediction of interaction characteristics of mutant nanopores. This single-molecule frequency fingerprint is important for classification, characterization, and prediction of synergetic interaction networks inside nanoconfinement.