Emergent self-propulsion at low Reynolds number

Abstract

We here demonstrate the experimental realization of inanimate micro-swimmer complexes showing emergent self-propulsion at low Reynolds number Re < 10^(-4) in quasi 2D colloidal systems. Guided by the substrate, self-organized propulsion occurs for up to 25min with typical velocities of 1-3 μm/s, while none of the involved constituents shows self-propulsion on its own.

6 pages

References in corpus (8)

• The hydrodynamics of swimming microorganisms
• Self-motile colloidal particles: from directed propulsion to random walk
• Propulsion of a molecular machine by asymmetric distribution of reaction--products
• Fluid dynamics and noise in bacterial cell-cell and cell-surface scattering
• Designing phoretic micro- and nano-swimmers
• Life around the scallop theorem
• Fluid transport at low Reynolds number with magnetically actuated artificial cilia
• No many-scallop theorem: Collective locomotion of reciprocal swimmers

Cited by in corpus (12)

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• Phoretic Interactions Between Active Droplets
• Self-assembly of colloidal molecules due to self-generated flow
• Capturing self-propelled particles in a moving microwedge
• Controlled assembly of single colloidal crystals using electro-osmotic micro-pumps
• Non-Faradaic electric currents in the Nernst-Planck equations and 'action at a distance' diffusiophoresis in crossed salt gradients
• Confined colloidal crystals in and out of equilibrium
• Large scale Micro-Photometry for high resolution pH-characterization during electro-osmotic pumping and modular micro-swimming
• Dynamics of groups of magnetically driven artificial microswimmers
• Writing in Water