Compressive response and helix formation of a semiflexible polymer confined in a nanochannel

Yumino Hayase, Takahiro Sakaue, Hiizu Nakanishi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Configurations of a single semiflexible polymer is studied when it is pushed into a nanochannel in the case where the polymer persistence length lp is much longer than the channel diameter D: lp/D 1. Using numerical simulations, we show that the polymer undergoes a sequence of recurring structural transitions upon longitudinal compression: random deflection along the channel, a helix going around the channel wall, double-fold random deflection, double-fold helix, etc. We find that the helix transition can be understood as buckling of deflection segments, and the initial helix formation takes place at very small compression with no appreciable weak compression regime of the random deflection polymer.

Original languageEnglish
Article number052502
JournalPhysical Review E
Volume95
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
  • Statistics and Probability
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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