The electrosolvation force: a new physical paradigm in chemistry and biology

Over the last several decades, dating back to the work of Langmuir, and Rosalind Franklin, the literature has consistently reported on a long-ranged attraction between particles in solution carrying electrical charge of the same sign. This attraction is not explained by standing theories and has remained an open conundrum. My laboratory has recently made important progress in elucidating the underpinnings of this phenomenon, introducing an “electrosolvation” force that drives spontaneous attraction and cluster formation in like-charged particles in solution. The force is long-ranged and is governed by the orientation of solvent molecules at the particle-electrolyte interface. The sign of the force exhibits an asymmetric response to the sign of charge of the particle: e.g., in water, negatively charged particles counterintuitively attract, whilst positives repel as expected, and vice versa in other solvents. This fundamental and unexpected mechanistic insight now opens for the first time the possibility to systematically investigate the origins of a host of poorly understood natural processes that are likely governed by this interaction, touching virtually all areas of the life sciences and beyond. Noteworthy examples include interactions driving biomolecular condensation, pathological protein aggregation, crystallization, gelation and DNA packing. We will carry out an in-depth experimental exploration of the interaction across length scales - from molecules to microspheres and macroscopic surfaces - using cutting edge experimental methods pioneered in my laboratory. We will further advance a fundamental understanding of the interaction through theoretical modelling and simulation. This comprehensive investigation will likely lead to the establishment of a broad and generally applicable conceptual paradigm that will fundamentally redefine how we think about molecular and particle interactions in the solution phase.