Flow-Induced Translocation of Star Polymers through a Nanopore.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Physics
• Nanotechnology
• Computational Chemistry

Background:

• Understanding polymer behavior in confined environments is crucial for nanotechnology.
• Star polymers exhibit unique properties due to their branched architecture.
• Nanopore translocation is a key process in DNA sequencing and drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the flow-induced translocation of star polymers through nanopores.
• To analyze the impact of polymer architecture (number of arms) and solvent quality on translocation dynamics.
• To quantify the effect of the capture process on mean translocation time.

Main Methods:

• Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations were employed.
• The number of star polymer arms (f) was varied while keeping the total monomers (N) constant.
• The initial position of the polymer relative to the pore was systematically altered.

Main Results:

• Incorporating the capture process reduced mean translocation time (<τt>) by up to 15%.
• Initial polymer location significantly affects stretching and translocation time.
• <τt> showed nonmonotonic dependence on the number of arms (f), consistent with prior studies.
• Translocation time was longer in better solvent quality and for semiflexible chains.

Conclusions:

• The capture process plays a significant role in star polymer nanopore translocation.
• Polymer architecture, solvent conditions, and chain flexibility collectively influence translocation efficiency.
• DPD simulations provide valuable insights into complex polymer dynamics in nanoscale systems.