Shear-induced microstructures and dynamics processes of phospholipid cylinders in solutions

Shear-induced microstructures and their corresponding dynamic processes are investigated for phospholipid cylinders in aqueous solution by dissipative particle dynamic simulation. Various phospholipid cylinders with cross-sections, which are formed under shear-free flow, are selected to examine the effects of shear flow on their structures and dynamic processes. Shear flow induces the transition from cylinders into vesicles at weak rate and the transition into vesicle–lamella mixtures with increased shear rate and lamella structures at the strong shear rate. Then, the average radius of gyration and shape factors of the polymer chains in the dynamic processes are discussed in detail. Results show that shear flow causes the structure of the polymer chains to be elongated along the shear direction, and the configuration of the polymer chain can be rapidly transformed into an ellipsoid structure under strong shear.