Entropic transport of finite size particles

TL;DR

This paper models the transport of finite-sized spherical particles through narrow channels, revealing a resonance-like dependence of mobility on particle size that could enable new separation techniques.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical approach using the Fick-Jacobs approximation to describe entropic barriers affecting particle transport in confined geometries.

Findings

Mobility shows resonance-like dependence on particle size.

Analytical results agree with numerical simulations.

Potential for novel particle separation methods.

Abstract

Transport of spherical Brownian particles of finite size possessing radii through narrow channels with varying cross-section area is considered. Applying the so-called Fick-Jacobs approximation, i.e. assuming fast equilibration in orthogonal direction of the channel axis, the 2D problem can be described by a 1D effective dynamics in which bottlenecks cause entropic barriers. Geometrical confinements result in entropic barriers which the particles have to overcome in order to proceed in transport direction. The analytic findings for the nonlinear mobility for the transport are compared with precise numerical simulation results. The dependence of the nonlinear mobility on the particle size exhibits a striking resonance-like behavior as a function of the relative particle size; this latter feature renders possible new effective particle separation scenarios.