Issue 38, 2016

Interactions of rod-like particles on responsive elastic sheets

Abstract

What are the physical laws of the mutual interactions of objects bound to cell membranes, such as various membrane proteins or elongated virus particles? To rationalise this, we here investigate by extensive computer simulations mutual interactions of rod-like particles adsorbed on the surface of responsive elastic two-dimensional sheets. Specifically, we quantify sheet deformations as a response to adhesion of such filamentous particles. We demonstrate that tip-to-tip contacts of rods are favoured for relatively soft sheets, while side-by-side contacts are preferred for stiffer elastic substrates. These attractive orientation-dependent substrate-mediated interactions between the rod-like particles on responsive sheets can drive their aggregation and self-assembly. The optimal orientation of the membrane-bound rods is established via responding to the elastic energy profiles created around the particles. We unveil the phase diagramme of attractive–repulsive rod–rod interactions in the plane of their separation and mutual orientation. Applications of our results to other systems featuring membrane-associated particles are also discussed.

Graphical abstract: Interactions of rod-like particles on responsive elastic sheets

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Jul 2016
Accepted
28 Jul 2016
First published
28 Jul 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 7908-7919

Interactions of rod-like particles on responsive elastic sheets

S. K. Ghosh, A. G. Cherstvy, E. P. Petrov and R. Metzler, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 7908 DOI: 10.1039/C6SM01522K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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