Soft-Lubrication Drainage and Rupture in Particle-Driven Vesicles
Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 204001 – Published 20 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1jsk-9q7w
Abstract
The deformation and rupture of a lipid vesicle due to the forced normal approach of an inclusion are essential for optimizing the design of magnetic giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) [Malik et al., Nanoscale 17, 13720 (2025)], with implications for active colloid-membrane interactions and cellular-scale chemical delivery. Here, we investigate vesicles propelled by a force-driven rigid inclusion and reveal a robust elastohydrodynamic mechanism: the inclusion outpaces the vesicle, sustaining a thinning film that drains symmetrically and self-similarly, largely independent of the initial shape. For soft membranes and small inclusions, the coupling drives a monotonic tension increase that can exceed the lysis tension. Evaluating the maximal tension over a delivery distance, we map an operating window in a vesicle reduced area and size relative to the inclusion.
