Odd Polycatenanes Tank-Tread in Strong Shear Flow

Abstract

Polycatenanes are mechanically interlocked polymers composed of ring molecules linked through mechanical bonds. Here, we investigate the single-molecule dynamics of linear polycatenanes under strong steady shear flow using coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations with hydrodynamic interactions. We identify a stable tank-treading state in which individual rings rotate continuously while the overall polymer remains highly extended and aligned with the flow direction, adopting conformations typically associated with extensional flow. Remarkably, tank-treading is observed almost exclusively in odd polycatenanes, polycatenanes with an odd number of rings. We attribute this odd-even effect to the orientation of the terminal rings within the flow-gradient plane, where they act as anchors that stabilize polymer extension, a configuration accessible only to odd polycatenanes. Furthermore, our simulations and a Markov state model demonstrate that this dynamic behavior remains stable over long timescales. Finally, we show that tank treading polycatenanes can be used to fully extend other molecules in strong shear flow, hinting at applications of this behavior to manipulate molecules in rotational flows.