Active Dynamics of Linear Chains and Rings in Porous Media

TL;DR

This study computationally explores how active Brownian monomers form linear chains and rings in porous media, revealing how activity and topology influence their migration, swelling, shrinking, and trapping behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed computational analysis of the interplay between activity, flexibility, and topology in the dynamics of active agents in porous media.

Findings

Flexible chains and rings swell and migrate smoothly.

Semiflexible rings shrink, get trapped, then escape at higher activities.

Semiflexible chains shrink at low activity and swell at high activity.

Abstract

To understand the dynamical and conformational properties of deformable active agents in porous media, we computationally investigate the dynamics of linear chains and rings made of active Brownian monomers. In porous media, flexible linear chains and rings always migrate smoothly and undergo activity-induced swelling. However, semiflexible linear chains though navigate smoothly, shrink at lower activities, followed by swelling at higher activities, while semiflexible rings exhibit a contrasting behavior. Semiflexible rings shrink, get trapped at lower activities, and escape at higher activities. This demonstrates how activity and topology interplay and control the structure and dynamics of linear chains and rings in porous media. We envision that our study will shed light on understanding the mode of transport of shape-changing active agents in porous media.