Deformation of thin Mooney–Rivlin elastic sheet due to electrostatic interaction with a rigid curved domain implied to biosystems

Electrostatic force-driven deformation of a thin elastic sheet has important applications in engineering and biosystems. We investigated the deformation behavior of a thin elastic sheet caused by electrostatic interaction with a rigid curved domain in this work. In the equilibrium configuration, the elastic sheet’s deformation is coupled with its charge density. The Mooney–Rivlin strain energy density function is used to model sheet’s large deformation behavior. Elastic sheet deforms as the charge density of the rigid curved domain increases. The current model is being used to investigate the scaffolding behavior of BAR (Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs) proteins with lipid membranes. The lipid membrane and BAR protein are equivalently considered as thin elastic sheet and rigid curved domain, respectively. The current model accurately predicts the scaffolding behavior of BAR proteins with higher curvatures, such as Endophilin N-BAR and PX-BAR proteins. It can also predict deformation behavior of any other thin elastic structures subjected to large deformation due to electrostatic interaction with other rigid structures.