Forming a Double-Helix Phase of Single Polymer Chains by the Cooperation between Local Structure and Nonlocal Attraction.
Phys Rev Lett
; 128(19): 197801, 2022 May 13.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35622042
ABSTRACT
Double-helix structures, such as DNA, are formed in nature to realize many unique functions. Inspired by this, researchers are pursuing strategies to design such structures from polymers. A key question is whether the double helix can be formed from the self-folding of a single polymer chain without specific interactions. Here, using Langevin dynamics simulation and theoretical analysis, we find that a stable double-helix phase can be achieved by the self-folding of single semiflexible polymers as a result of the cooperation between local structure and nonlocal attraction. The critical temperature of double-helix formation approximately follows T^{cri}â¼ln(k_{θ}) and T^{cri}â¼ln(k_{τ}), where k_{θ} and k_{τ} are the polymer bending and torsion stiffness, respectively. Furthermore, the double helix can exhibit major and minor grooves due to symmetric break for better packing. Our results provide a novel guide to the experimental design of the double helix.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Polímeros
/
DNA
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Phys Rev Lett
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
China