CHIRAL TWISTED "H" MOLECULE IN SIMPLE SHEAR FLOW

Abstract

For rigid chiral objects in the low Reynolds number of shear flows, both experimental and theoretical results show that the chiral objects and their enantiomers will migrate in the positive or negative vorticity directions. This phenomenon is widely explored for the possibility of separation of chiral objects in shear flow. Within the simplest twisted "H" molecule model of hydrodynamic interactions of particles, we have calculated the hydrodynamic forces exerted on chiral twisted "H" molecules by shear flows. The chiral parameters that determine their different migration forces in shear flows are identified. The analysis may also be extended to study other complex motions of chiral objects in natural situations and microfluidic cells as well as important chiral-flow interactions, such as the interparticle interactions mediated by fluid flows.