Work

Electrotaxis of Self-Propelling Artificial Swimmers in Microchannels

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Biological microswimmers alter their swimming trajectories to follow the direction of an applied electric field, exhibiting electrotaxis. We show that synthetic active droplet microswimmers also autonomously change swimming trajectories in microchannels, even undergoing "U-turns," in response to an electric field, mimicking electrotaxis. We exploit such electrotaxis, in the presence of an external flow, to robustly tune the swimming trajectory of active droplets between wall-adjacent, oscillatory, and channel centerline swimming. A general hydrodynamic model demonstrates that the electrotactic dynamics is governed by the electrical effects due to the swimmer's inherent surface charge, besides its motility, hydrodynamic wall interactions, and relative orientations of the electric field and imposed flow. Our study demonstrates a simple method for controlling active agents in complex geometries for microrobotic applications, like autonomous cargo delivery.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.133.158301

Authors: Carola M. Buness, Avi Rana, Corinna C. Maass, Ranabir Dey

Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, University of Göttingen, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Max Planck University of Twente Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente

Language: English

Topic: Micro and Nano Robotics

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750

Funders: Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Science and Engineering Research Board