Dynamics of semi-dilute polymer-particle solutions

The dynamics of polymer-particle solutions are of great interest for applications in materials processing, drug delivery and oil recovery. When the particles are significantly larger than the polymers, the dynamics of these systems are well-described theoretically. Deviations from predicted behavior arise, however, when the size of the particles and length scales in the polymer solutions are comparable. We explore the polymer-particle dynamics in this limit using multiparticle collision dynamics (MPCD), an advanced simulation algorithm for modeling solvent-mediated hydrodynamic interactions in mesoscale systems. The MPCD simulations provide new insight into the coupling between linear polymer chains and suspended particles on short- and long- time scales. Findings from our recent studies examining the influence of chain stiffness and morphology (e.g., rings versus linear chains) on the dynamics of polymer-particle solutions will also be discussed.