Casimir chemistry

It is shown that, at the nanoscale, the Casimir effect can be used to mechanically tune critical aspects of chemical reactions (e. g., energies, equilibrium constants, activation energies, transition states, reaction rates) by varying the spacing and composition of reaction vessel boundaries. This suggests new modalities for catalysts, nanoscale chemical manufacturing, chemical-mechanical engines, and biochemical processes in organisms. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3224158]