Directed translocation of a flexible polymer through a cone-shaped channel

TL;DR

This study investigates how a flexible polymer translocates through a cone-shaped channel, revealing the effects of channel geometry on translocation time through theoretical and simulation methods.

Contribution

It provides a combined theoretical and simulation analysis of entropy-driven polymer translocation through a cone-shaped channel, highlighting the non-monotonic dependence on apex angle.

Findings

Translocation time varies non-monotonically with apex angle.

Translocation time decreases with increasing channel length.

Theory and simulation results are in qualitative agreement.

Abstract

Entropy-driven directed translocation of a flexible polymer through a cone-shaped channel is studied theoretically and using computer simulation. For a given length of the channel, the effective force of entropic origin acting on the polymer is calculated as a function of the apex angle of the channel. It is found that the translocation time is a non-monotonic function of the apex angle. By increasing the apex angle from zero, the translocation time shows a minimum and then a maximum. Also, it is found that regardless of the value of the apex angle, the translocation time is a uniformly decreasing function of the channel length. The results of the theory and the simulation are in good qualitative agreement.