title: A tunable dendritic molecular actuator.
abstract: I present an electroresponsive molecular actuator based upon a diblock copolymer of a positively charged dendrimer and a negatively charged linear chain. Brownian dynamics simulations demonstrate the hybrid polyampholyte's ability to apply a force or assume an equilibrium molecular strain tunable with an applied electric field. The free energy as a function of molecular strain at differing electric field strengths, as obtained via the Jarzynski identity, suggests a phase transition in the hybrid.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. PWelch@lanl.gov
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004548:Elasticity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D011108:Polymers