A vesicle cell under collision with a Janus or homogeneous nanoparticle: Translocation dynamics and late-stage morphology

We investigate translocation dynamics of a vesicle cell under collision with a Janus or a homogeneous hydrophobic/hydrophilic nanoparticle. To this end, we perform dissipative particle dynamics simulation by setting the nanoparticle with different initial velocities, different chemical patterns of the surface for the nanoparticle, and different orientations (for the Janus nanoparticle). Particular attention is given to translocation dynamics, in-cell water discharge, and the late-stage morphologies of the vesicle/nanoparticle system after the collision. We observe three late-stage states for the Janus nanoparticle, and four late-stage states for the homogeneous nanoparticles. We find that the late-stage state and the associated dynamical pathway not only depend on the relative velocity but also on the chemical pattern of the nanoparticle surface, as well as on the orientation of the incident Janus nanoparticle. We have examined the time-dependent mean radius of the vesicle, the number of in-cell water beads lost from the vesicle, as well as the collision-induced pore size on the lipid membrane during the course of collision. Our simulation provides microscopic insights into the resilience of the vesicle-cell membrane and dynamical behavior of the vesicle under the attack of a foreign nanoparticle. Knowledge and insights gained through the simulation will have implication to the drug delivery with different chemical coatings. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.