Optical trapping uses the force exerted by photons to manipulate micro- and nanoscale objects with high spatial and temporal precision across multiple scientific fields. It enables control and study of structures like nanoparticles, proteins, and quantum dots, as well as nanoscale forces and motion. This is  prompting this powerful tool  into new initiatives  across physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science.

The CHEMOPTFOR project aims to address the fundamental question of how optical forces can be controlled through external chemical stimuli and develop model(s) to rationalize the phenomenon. The generated knowledge will be the next game-changer for the optical trapping paradigm by enabling the chemical control of optical forces and the development of the new generation of (opto)chemically adaptive materials that modify their light-matter interaction in response to (chemical) changes in the microenvironment.