Boundaries can steer active Janus spheres

Sambeeta Das, Astha Garg, Andrew I. Campbell, Jonathan Howse, Ayusman Sen (), Darrell Velegol (), Ramin Golestanian () and Stephen J. Ebbens ()
Additional contact information
Sambeeta Das: The Pennsylvania State University
Astha Garg: The Pennsylvania State University
Andrew I. Campbell: University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
Jonathan Howse: University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
Ayusman Sen: The Pennsylvania State University
Darrell Velegol: The Pennsylvania State University
Ramin Golestanian: Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford
Stephen J. Ebbens: University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The advent of autonomous self-propulsion has instigated research towards making colloidal machines that can deliver mechanical work in the form of transport, and other functions such as sensing and cleaning. While much progress has been made in the last 10 years on various mechanisms to generate self-propulsion, the ability to steer self-propelled colloidal devices has so far been much more limited. A critical barrier in increasing the impact of such motors is in directing their motion against the Brownian rotation, which randomizes particle orientations. In this context, here we report directed motion of a specific class of catalytic motors when moving in close proximity to solid surfaces. This is achieved through active quenching of their Brownian rotation by constraining it in a rotational well, caused not by equilibrium, but by hydrodynamic effects. We demonstrate how combining these geometric constraints can be utilized to steer these active colloids along arbitrary trajectories.

Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9999

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9999

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