Rectification of polymer translocation through nanopores by chiral and nonchiral active particles

Abstract

We study unbiased translocation of a flexible polymer chain through a membrane pore under the influence of active noise and steric exclusion using Langevin dynamics simulations. The active noise is incorporated by introducing nonchiral and chiral active particles on one or both sides of the membrane. Translocation of the polymer into either side of the pore is assisted by an effective pulling due to particle activity and is hindered by an effective pushing due to steric repulsions between the polymer and active particles. As a result of the competition between these effective forces, we find a transition between two rectified ({\em cis}-to-{\em trans} and {\em trans}-to-{\em cis}) states. This transition is identified by a sharp increase of translocation time. It varies depending on the system parameters such as particle activity, area fraction and chirality whose effects are explored in this work.