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A passive star polymer in a dense active bath: insights from computer simulations
Ramanand Singh Yadav1, Sanaa Sharma1, Ralf Metzler2,3
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India. rajarshi@chem.iitb.ac.in.
Soft Matter
|May 3, 2024
Summary
This study reveals how star polymers influence active matter. Star polymers accelerate cluster formation and exhibit unique conformational changes in active Brownian particle (ABP) suspensions.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Polymer Physics
- Active Matter Physics
Background:
- Active Brownian particles (ABPs) form distinct phases via motility-induced phase separation (MIPS).
- Complex polymer topologies, like star polymers, interact with active environments in ways not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and dynamical effects of a three-arm star polymer in a bath of ABPs.
- To analyze how star polymer conformation and dynamics change with ABP activity and packing fraction.
- To examine the role of star polymers as mobile nucleation centers during MIPS.
Main Methods:
- Two-dimensional (2D) computer simulations.
- Analysis of polymer conformation and particle dynamics.
- Study of MIPS in active-passive mixtures.
Main Results:
- Star polymers enhance cluster growth rates during MIPS, acting as nucleation centers.
- Star polymers experience caged motion within dense active phases.
- Increasing ABP activity causes star polymer arm shrinking, hairpin formation, and arm pairing.
Conclusions:
- Star polymers significantly alter MIPS dynamics and exhibit complex conformational changes in active suspensions.
- Findings provide insights into active-passive mixtures and biopolymers in dense active environments.
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