Size-Dependent Properties of Magnetosensitive Polymersomes: Computer Modelling.

Magnetosensitive polymersomes, which are amphiphilic polymer capsules whose membranes are filled with magnetic nanoparticles, are prospective objects for drug delivery and manipulations with single cells. A molecular dynamics simulation model that is able to render a detailed account on the structure and shape response of a polymersome to an external magnetic field is used to study a dimensional effect: the dependence of the field-induced deformation on the size of this nanoscale object. It is shown that in the material parameter range that resembles realistic conditions, the strain response of smaller polymersomes, against expectations, exceeds that of larger ones. A qualitative explanation for this behavior is proposed.