Microgel Translocation Through Narrow Capillaries
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arXiv
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| Auteurs principaux: | , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866912917885026304 |
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| author | Biswas, Subhadip Chakrabarti, Buddhapriya |
| author_facet | Biswas, Subhadip Chakrabarti, Buddhapriya |
| contents | The transport of soft viscoelastic gels through confined geometries underlies critical processes in biomedical, biological, and industrial systems. Here, we examine the translocation of a spherical microgel through a narrow capillary whose diameter is smaller than the equilibrium gel size. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations in tandem with mean-field theory and mechanical analysis, we uncover a critical threshold diameter $d_c$ below which the microgel cannot enter, regardless of the applied pressure. This geometric limit emerges from the interplay between gel elasticity and its internal network connectivity, captured quantitatively by a graph-theoretic model. We construct a phase diagram in the parameter space of tube diameter $d$, applied force $f_g$, and gel stiffness $Y$ (Young's modulus), which delineates the regimes of successful translocation and mechanical arrest. Under negligible wall friction, gel mobility scales with the applied force; however, beyond a cutoff set by the network topology, progressive densification in the constriction stalls the microgel. Our results reveal the mechanical and topological determinants of soft-gel transport in confinement and provide predictive guidelines for engineering gel-based systems in microfluidics, drug delivery, and tissue-level filtration. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_19205 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Microgel Translocation Through Narrow Capillaries Biswas, Subhadip Chakrabarti, Buddhapriya Soft Condensed Matter The transport of soft viscoelastic gels through confined geometries underlies critical processes in biomedical, biological, and industrial systems. Here, we examine the translocation of a spherical microgel through a narrow capillary whose diameter is smaller than the equilibrium gel size. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations in tandem with mean-field theory and mechanical analysis, we uncover a critical threshold diameter $d_c$ below which the microgel cannot enter, regardless of the applied pressure. This geometric limit emerges from the interplay between gel elasticity and its internal network connectivity, captured quantitatively by a graph-theoretic model. We construct a phase diagram in the parameter space of tube diameter $d$, applied force $f_g$, and gel stiffness $Y$ (Young's modulus), which delineates the regimes of successful translocation and mechanical arrest. Under negligible wall friction, gel mobility scales with the applied force; however, beyond a cutoff set by the network topology, progressive densification in the constriction stalls the microgel. Our results reveal the mechanical and topological determinants of soft-gel transport in confinement and provide predictive guidelines for engineering gel-based systems in microfluidics, drug delivery, and tissue-level filtration. |
| title | Microgel Translocation Through Narrow Capillaries |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.19205 |