Tracer diffusion in a polymer network: influence of network flexibility

We present a Brownian dynamics simulation study on the diffusion of a neutral tracer particle confined in a regularly crosslinked polymer network, especially, when the tracer size is comparable to the mesh size of the network. Polymer networks with different mesh sizes are prepared and compressed to the extent that the total polymer densities become the same. Irrespective of the network mesh size, the tracer diffusion in the networks is slowed down, showing the subdiffusion on intermediate time scales followed by the normal diffusion at long times. However, the confinement effect on the tracer diffusion becomes more significant when network strands are tightly stretched with smaller mesh size. The time scales of dynamic transitions are analyzed in terms of the probability distribution of time-correlated particle displacements.