Mapping the variation of the translocation α scaling exponent with nanopore width.
The unbiased translocation of a coarse-grained polymer through a nanopore is investigated via Langevin dynamics simulations for polymers ranging from N=19 to 299 monomers in length and pore widths r p ranging from 1 to 10 times the monomer diameter. The exponent α derived from the scaling of the translocation time τ with respect to the molecular weight N is found to be heavily dependent on r p and increases from a value of 2.2 for r p=1.0 up to a saturation value of 3. The details of the translocation process also reveal that the average number of monomers in the pore [n p] not only varies as translocation proceeds but that for any polymer where the radius of gyration is greater than the radius of the available pore width, [n p] decreases with increasing N. Using these data to rescale the results according to a blob picture, the results retain sensitivity on the pore geometry as α varies from 2.2 to 2.65--a range which covers all results reported in previous studies.
de Haan
Hendrick W
HW
Physics Department, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Slater
Gary W
GW
D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D058608:Nanopores; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers