title: Origin of metastable knots in single flexible chains.
abstract: Recent theoretical progress has explained the physics of knotting of semiflexible polymers, yet knotting of flexible polymers is relatively unexplored. We herein develop a new theory for the size distribution of knots on a flexible polymer and the existence of metastable knots. We show the free energy of a flexible molecule in a tube can be mapped to quantitatively reproduce the free energy distribution of a knot on a flexible chain. The size distribution of knots on flexible chains is expected to be universal and might be observed at a macroscopic scale, such as a string of hard balls.
authors: BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Dai
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors: C Benjamin
authors: CB
authors: Renner
authors: BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 117543, Singapore and Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors: Patrick S
authors: PS
authors: Doyle
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D004247:DNA