Molecular Imaging of Slip in Entangled DNA Solution

Abstract

This work obtains the first molecular imaging of wall slip in entangled solutions. Using a combination of confocal fluorescence microscopy and rheometry, molecular images were captured in the nonlinear response regime of entangled DNA solutions. Conformations of DNA molecules were imaged during shear to correlate with the magnitude of wall slip. Interfacial chain disentanglement results in wall slip beyond the stress overshoot. Sufficient disentanglement can produce tumbling of individual DNA in the entangled solutions.