107 research outputs found
The Immunity of Polymer-Microemulsion Networks
The concept of network immunity, i.e., the robustness of the network
connectivity after a random deletion of edges or vertices, has been
investigated in biological or communication networks. We apply this concept to
a self-assembling, physical network of microemulsion droplets connected by
telechelic polymers, where more than one polymer can connect a pair of
droplets. The gel phase of this system has higher immunity if it is more likely
to survive (i.e., maintain a macroscopic, connected component) when some of the
polymers are randomly degraded. We consider the distribution of the
number of polymers between a pair of droplets, and show that gel immunity
decreases as the variance of increases. Repulsive interactions
between the polymers decrease the variance, while attractive interactions
increase the variance, and may result in a bimodal .Comment: Corrected typo
Effects of jamming on non-equilibrium transport times in nano-channels
Many biological channels perform highly selective transport without direct
input of metabolic energy and without transitions from a 'closed' to an 'open'
state during transport. Mechanisms of selectivity of such channels serve as an
inspiration for creation of artificial nano-molecular sorting devices and
bio-sensors. To elucidate the transport mechanisms, it is important to
understand the transport on the single molecule level in the experimentally
relevant regime when multiple particles are crowded in the channel. In this
paper we analyze the effects of inter-particle crowding on the non-equilibrium
transport times through a finite-length channel by means of analytical theory
and computer simulations
Simple biophysics underpins collective conformations of the intrinsically disordered proteins of the Nuclear Pore Complex
Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs) are key cellular transporter that control nucleocytoplasmic transport in eukaryotic cells, but its transport mechanism is still not understood. The centerpiece of NPC transport is the assembly of intrinsically disordered polypeptides, known as FG nucleoporins, lining its passageway. Their conformations and collective dynamics during transport are difficult to assess in vivo. In vitro investigations provide partially conflicting results, lending support to different models of transport, which invoke various conformational transitions of the FG nucleoporins induced by the cargo-carrying transport proteins. We show that the spatial organization of FG nucleoporin assemblies with the transport proteins can be understood within a first principles biophysical model with a minimal number of key physical variables, such as the average protein interaction strengths and spatial densities. These results address some of the outstanding controversies and suggest how molecularly divergent NPCs in different species can perform essentially the same function
Entropic phase separation of linked beads
We study theoretically a model system of a transient network of microemulsion
droplets connected by telechelic polymers and explain recent experimental
findings. Despite the absence of any specific interactions between either the
droplets or polymer chains, we predict that as the number of polymers per drop
is increased, the system undergoes a first order phase separation into a dense,
highly connected phase, in equilibrium with dilute droplets, decorated by
polymer loops. The phase transition is purely entropic and is driven by the
interplay between the translational entropy of the drops and the
configurational entropy of the polymer connections between them. Because it is
dominated by entropic effects, the phase separation mechanism of the system is
extremely robust and does not depend on the particlular physical realization of
the network. The discussed model applies as well to other polymer linked
particle aggregates, such as nano-particles connected with short DNA linkers
A swollen phase observed between the liquid-crystalline phase and the interdigitated phase induced by pressure and/or adding ethanol in DPPC aqueous solution
A swollen phase, in which the mean repeat distance of lipid bilayers is
larger than the other phases, is found between the liquid-crystalline phase and
the interdigitated gel phase in DPPC aqueous solution. Temperature, pressure
and ethanol concentration dependences of the structure were investigated by
small-angle neutron scattering, and a bending rigidity of lipid bilayers was by
neutron spin echo. The nature of the swollen phase is similar to the anomalous
swelling reported previously. However, the temperature dependence of the mean
repeat distance and the bending rigidity of lipid bilayers are different. This
phase could be a precursor to the interdigitated gel phase induced by pressure
and/or adding ethanol.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
Vorticity Banding During the Lamellar-to-Onion Transition in a Lyotropic Surfactant Solution in Shear Flow
We report on the rheology of a lamellar lyotropic surfactant solution
(SDS/dodecane/pentanol/water), and identify a discontinuous transition between
two shear thinning regimes which correspond to the low stress lamellar phase
and the more viscous shear induced multi-lamellar vesicle, or ``onion'' phase.
We study in detail the flow curve, stress as a function of shear rate, during
the transition region, and present evidence that the region consists of a shear
banded phase where the material has macroscopically separated into bands of
lamellae and onions stacked in the vorticity direction. We infer very slow and
irregular transformations from lamellae to onions as the stress is increased
through the two phase region, and identify distinct events consistent with the
nucleation of small fractions of onions that coexist with sheared lamellae.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure
Critical behaviour of the Rouse model for gelling polymers
It is shown that the traditionally accepted "Rouse values" for the critical
exponents at the gelation transition do not arise from the Rouse model for
gelling polymers. The true critical behaviour of the Rouse model for gelling
polymers is obtained from spectral properties of the connectivity matrix of the
fractal clusters that are formed by the molecules. The required spectral
properties are related to the return probability of a "blind ant"-random walk
on the critical percolating cluster. The resulting scaling relations express
the critical exponents of the shear-stress-relaxation function, and hence those
of the shear viscosity and of the first normal stress coefficient, in terms of
the spectral dimension of the critical percolating cluster and the
exponents and of the cluster-size distribution.Comment: 9 pages, slightly extended version, to appear in J. Phys.
Shear induced instabilities in layered liquids
Motivated by the experimentally observed shear-induced destabilization and
reorientation of smectic A like systems, we consider an extended formulation of
smectic A hydrodynamics. We include both, the smectic layering (via the layer
displacement u and the layer normal p) and the director n of the underlying
nematic order in our macroscopic hydrodynamic description and allow both
directions to differ in non equilibrium situations. In an homeotropically
aligned sample the nematic director does couple to an applied simple shear,
whereas the smectic layering stays unchanged. This difference leads to a finite
(but usually small) angle between n and p, which we find to be equivalent to an
effective dilatation of the layers. This effective dilatation leads, above a
certain threshold, to an undulation instability of the layers. We generalize
our earlier approach [Rheol. Acta, vol.39(3), 15] and include the cross
couplings with the velocity field and the order parameters for orientational
and positional order and show how the order parameters interact with the
undulation instability. We explore the influence of various material parameters
on the instability. Comparing our results to recent experiments and molecular
dynamic simulations, we find a good qualitative agreement.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Structure and rheological properties of model microemulsion networks filled with nanoparticles
Model microemulsion networks of oil droplets stabilized by non ionic
surfactant and telechelic polymer C18-PEO(10k)-C18 have been studied for two
droplet-to-polymer size ratios. The rheological properties of the networks have
been measured as a function of network connectivity and can be described in
terms of simple percolation laws. The network structure has been characterised
by Small Angle Neutron Scattering. A Reverse Monte Carlo approach is used to
demonstrate the interplay of attraction and repulsion induced by the copolymer.
These model networks are then used as matrix for the incorporation of silica
nanoparticles (R=10nm), individual dispersion being checked by scattering. A
strong impact on the rheological properties is found for silica volume
fractions up to 9%
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