Enhanced molecular diffusion near a soft fluctuating membrane

Particles diffusing near interfaces face anisotropic resistance to motion due to hydrodynamic interactions. While this has been extensively studied near hard interfaces since the works of Lorentz and Brenner, our understanding of diffusion near soft, thermally fluctuating interfaces remains limited. Previous studies have predominantly focused on particles much larger than the molecular scale at which thermal fluctuations become important. In this work, we numerically investigate the dynamics of individual solvent molecules near a thermally fluctuating lipid membrane, a canonical soft interface in biology. We observe that the diffusive motion of solvent molecules near the fluctuating membrane is slightly enhanced compared to a flat rigid interface and significantly more so than near an undulated rigid interface. This enhancement in diffusive motion arises from spontaneous momentum exchanges between the moving membrane and adjacent molecules, promoting mixing. Notably, this dispersion effect overcomes geometric trapping that slows diffusion near the rigid undulated interface. Our analysis reveals that the momentum transfer near the fluctuating membrane is so efficient that it resembles an effective slip boundary condition over a length scale equal to the fluctuation height. These molecular-scale mechanisms differ from those of larger particles, where hydrodynamic memory and elasticity effects can be at play as they relax over timescales comparable to significant diffusive motion. Our findings advance understanding of enhanced diffusive motion and promoted mixing near soft fluctuating membranes involved in diverse biological processes and soft-matter technologies containing natural and model cell membranes.