Dynamics of an active chiral polymer in shear flow

Area of Science:

• Polymer Physics
• Active Matter Physics
• Soft Condensed Matter

Background:

• Understanding the behavior of polymers in flow is crucial for various applications.
• Active polymers, which can generate their own motion, introduce unique complexities.
• Chirality adds another layer of complexity, influencing self-assembly and dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the complex formation of active flexible polymer chains in linear shear flow.
• To explore the influence of activity, chirality, and shear rate on polymer chain conformations.
• To characterize the different states adopted by these polymers under flow conditions.

Main Methods:

• Monomer-resolved Brownian dynamics simulations in two spatial dimensions.
• Modeling an active chiral head monomer and passive chain monomers.
• Varying shear rates and analyzing the resulting polymer morphologies.

Main Results:

• Observed diverse states including linear/complex folding and spiraling morphologies (head-in/head-out).
• Demonstrated that the competition between shear vorticity and head monomer activity tunes overall chirality.
• Identified a direct link between activity, chirality, and shear rate in dictating polymer behavior.

Conclusions:

• Active chiral polymers exhibit rich phase behavior in shear flow.
• The interplay between intrinsic activity, chirality, and external flow fields governs polymer conformation.
• Findings are relevant for designing and understanding both biological and artificial chiral active polymers in complex environments.