Molecular sorting by stochastic resonance.

To sort a targeted species from a mixture, we introduce a procedure that relies on the enhancement of its effective diffusion coefficient. We use the formation of a host-guest complex between alpha-cyclodextrin and a dye to evidence the dye dispersion when the medium is submitted to an oscillating field. In particular, we demonstrate that the effective diffusion coefficient of the dye may be increased far beyond its intrinsic value by tuning the driving field frequency in the stochastic resonance regime. We use this effect to selectively sort from a mixture a dye that is addressed by its rate constants for association with alpha-cyclodextrin.