Polymer translocation through a nanopore assisted by an environment of active rods

Abstract

We use a combination of computer simulations and isoflux tension propagation (IFTP) theory to investigate the translocation dynamics of a flexible linear polymer through a nanopore into an environment composed of repulsive active rods in two dimensions. We demonstrate that the rod activity induces a crowding effect on the polymer, leading to a time-dependent effective net force that facilitates translocation into the active environment. Incorporating this force into the IFTP theory for pore-driven translocation allows us to characterize translocation dynamics in detail and derive a scaling form for the average translocation time as τ ∼ N1+v01 Lvt/FSP, where N01, Lr, and FSP are the initial contour length of the cis-side subchain, rod length, and self-propelling force acting on the rods, respectively, and ν is the equilibrium Flory scaling exponent.