Single file dynamics in soft materials

The term single file (SF) dynamics refers to the motion of an assembly of particles through a channel
with cross-sections comparable to the particles' diameter. Single file diffusion (SFD) is then the diffusion
of a tagged particle in a single file, i.e., under the condition that particle passing is not allowed. SFD
accounts for a large variety of processes in nature, including diffusion of colloids in synthetic and natural
channels, biological motors along molecular chains, electrons in proteins and liquid helium, ions
through membranes, just to mention a few examples. Albeit introduced in 1965s, over the last decade
the classical notion of SF dynamics has been generalised to account for a more realistic modelling of
the particle properties, file geometry, particle-particle and channel-particle interactions, which paves the
way to remarkable applications of the SF model, for instance, in the technology of bio-integrated
nanodevices. We provide here a comprehensive review of the recent advances in the theory of SF
dynamics with the purpose of spurring further experimental work.