Polymer translocation through nanopore assisted by an environment of active rods

Abstract

We use a combination of computer simulations and iso-flux tension propagation (IFTP) theory to investigate translocation dynamics of a flexible linear polymer through a nanopore into an environment composed of repulsive active rods in 2D. We demonstrate that the rod activity induces a crowding effect on the polymer, leading to a time-dependent net force that facilitates translocation into the active environment. Incorporating this force into the IFTP theory for pore-driven translocation allows us to characterise translocation dynamics in detail and derive a scaling form for the average translocation time as $\tilde{\tau }\sim {\tilde{L}}_{\text{r}}^{\nu }/{\tilde{F}}_{\text{SP}}$, where ${\tilde{L}}_{\text{r}}$ and ${\tilde{F}}_{\text{SP}}$ are the rod length and self-propelling force acting on the rods, respectively, and $\nu$ is the Flory exponent.

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