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Surface wetting by kinetic control of liquid-liquid phase separation
Kyosuke Adachi1,2, Kyogo Kawaguchi1,3,4
1Nonequilibrium Physics of Living Matter RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
Physical Review. E
|November 16, 2021
Summary
Fast particle creation can prevent surface wetting, even in equilibrium, by forming bulk droplets. This suggests cells may control wetting by regulating synthesis speed.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Soft Matter Physics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Intracellular phase separations are crucial for cellular organization.
- Protein droplets are observed to wet cell membranes, influencing cellular processes.
- Understanding nonequilibrium wetting phenomena is key to cellular function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate nonequilibrium surface wetting dynamics.
- To explore the impact of particle creation on wetting phenomena.
- To identify potential intracellular control mechanisms for surface wetting.
Main Methods:
- Monte Carlo simulations of a lattice gas model with particle creation.
- Molecular dynamics simulations of colloidal particle systems.
- Analysis of wetting behavior under varying particle creation rates and disorder densities.
Main Results:
- Fast particle creation can significantly hinder surface wetting, delaying it over extended periods.
- Bulk droplet formation was identified as the primary cause for the hindered wetting.
- The observed phenomenon persists in colloidal systems with sufficiently high disorder density.
Conclusions:
- Nonequilibrium particle creation can override equilibrium wetting predictions.
- Intracellular control of component synthesis speed may regulate surface wetting.
- This provides a potential mechanism for cells to manage membrane-associated processes.
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