Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of a polymer chain behavior fixed in a nanochannel flow

Abstract

We use the Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method to simulate the variation in the configuration of a polymer chain, whose two ends are fixed in a nanochannel, subject to bulk motion of fluid particles. We aim to find suitable relations between the polymer chain curvature and the mean flow velocity magnitudes. In this regard, we introduce some important parameters, which can effectively affect the polymer chain curvature and we examine their magnitudes on the amount of polymer chain deflection. In fact, our main objective is to quantify the relation between some major flow parameters, possibly with different polymer chain properties. For example, we show that different flow velocity magnitudes affect the polymer chain curvature differently. The results of this research open some new perspectives toward designing suitable flow sensors to measure flow characteristics in nanochannel flow applications.