Polymer in wedge-shaped confinement: Effect on the θ temperature

Abstract

The equilibrium properties of a finite-length linear polymer chain confined in an infinite wedge composed of two perfectly reflecting hard walls meeting at variable apex angle (α) are presented. One end of the polymer is anchored a distance y from the apex on the conical axis of symmetry, while the other end is free. We report here, for the first time the non-monotonic behaviour of θ-temperature as a function of y for a finite-length chain. Data-collapse for different chain lengths indicates that such behaviour will exist for all finite lengths. We delineate the origin of such nonmonotonic behaviour, which may have potential applications in understanding the cellular process occurring in nano-confined geometries.

Melting of confined DNA: static and dynamic properties

“…[45][46][47][48] There is also the emergence of non-monotonicity in melting profile and ejection time of polymer within wedge-shape confinement. 55,56 In our study, the transition temperature shifts from 0.89 (where the size of DNA 4 slit width) to 0.75 (where the size of DNA B slit width) for the middle region and at last approaches the bulk value 0.78 (size of DNA o slit width). The curve from the hN x i Z 7 (Fig.…”

“…45–48 There is also the emergence of non-monotonicity in melting profile and ejection time of polymer within wedge-shape confinement. 55,56…”

Polymer translocation: effects of periodically driven confinement

“…We used parameters R 0 = 1.5 σ , k = 30, α = 22.5°, k B T = 1.2 and γ = 0.7 reported in ref. 43. The time step Δ t is taken to be 0.001.…”

Polymer Translocation and Nanopore Sequencing: A Review of Advances and Challenges

“…A large variation in the value of the exponent also suggests that the results are very sensitive to details such as the size of the pore, the pore polymer–interaction, the various lengths involved, etc. Apart from an externally applied field, the driving force can also be derived from other sources such as confinement [ 26 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ] or the presence of chaperons/crowders [ 53 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 ].…”