Enhancing particle transport in deformable micro-channels

Abstract

It is shown that the action of an oscillating force on particles moving through a deformable-walled channel causes them to travel greater distances than in the case of a rigid channel. This increase in the transport efficiency is due to an intensification of the stochastic resonance effect observed in corrugated rigid channels, for which the response to the force is maximal for an optimal value of the thermal noise. The distances traveled by the particles are even larger when the oscillation of the micro-channel is synchronized with that of an applied transverse force and also when a constant external force is considered. The phenomenon found could be observed in the transport of particles through elastic porous media, in drug delivery to cancerous tissues, and in the passage of substrates through transporters in biological membranes.Our results indicate that an appropriate channel design and a suitable choice of applied forces lead to optimal scenarios for particle transport.

Polymer translocation: effects of periodically driven confinement

“…In this finite-frequency domain, they found a resonance peak in the velocity of the molecules that has potential to improve the operating speed or the separation capability of microdevices. This phenomenon is known as the resonance activation effect, 20,[27][28][29][30] which arises due to the constructive interference between the driving force and the motion of the translocating bio-polymers. As a result, there is an energy transfer that facilitates and accelerates the translocation process.…”

Optimizing Work Extraction in the Presence of an Entropic Potential: An Entropic Stochastic Resonance

“…Therefore, the concept of entropic potential has become an interesting area of research and has extensively been used to deal with the constrained motion of particles in periodic channels − and in bilobal enclosures − during the last few decades. Recent developments also cover the involvement of the particle activity or self-propulsion ,− and the nature of the boundary walls − to rectify the entropic transport.…”