中国物理B ›› 2020, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (6): 64704-064704.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ab892b

所属专题: SPECIAL TOPIC — Active matters physics

• SPECIAL TOPIC—Recent advances in thermoelectric materials and devices • 上一篇    下一篇

Self-assembled vesicle-colloid hybrid swimmers: Non-reciprocal strokes with reciprocal actuation

Jaime Agudo-Canalejo, Babak Nasouri   

  1. Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization(MPIDS), 37077 Goettingen, Germany
  • 收稿日期:2020-01-30 修回日期:2020-03-18 出版日期:2020-06-05 发布日期:2020-06-05
  • 通讯作者: Jaime Agudo-Canalejo E-mail:jaime.agudo@ds.mpg.de

Self-assembled vesicle-colloid hybrid swimmers: Non-reciprocal strokes with reciprocal actuation

Jaime Agudo-Canalejo, Babak Nasouri   

  1. Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization(MPIDS), 37077 Goettingen, Germany
  • Received:2020-01-30 Revised:2020-03-18 Online:2020-06-05 Published:2020-06-05
  • Contact: Jaime Agudo-Canalejo E-mail:jaime.agudo@ds.mpg.de

摘要: We consider a self-assembled hybrid system, composed of a bilayer vesicle to which a number of colloids are adhered. Based on known results of membrane curvature elasticity, we predict that, for sufficiently deflated prolate vesicles, the colloids can self-assemble into a ring at a finite distance away from the vesicle equator, thus breaking the up-down symmetry in the system. Because the relative variation of the position of the colloidal ring along the vesicle endows the system with an effective elasticity, periodic cycles of inflation and deflation can lead to non-reciprocal shape changes of the vesicle-colloid hybrid, allowing it to swim in a low Reynolds number environment under reciprocal actuation. We design several actuation protocols that allow control over the swimming direction.

关键词: vesicles, colloids, microswimmers, curvature

Abstract: We consider a self-assembled hybrid system, composed of a bilayer vesicle to which a number of colloids are adhered. Based on known results of membrane curvature elasticity, we predict that, for sufficiently deflated prolate vesicles, the colloids can self-assemble into a ring at a finite distance away from the vesicle equator, thus breaking the up-down symmetry in the system. Because the relative variation of the position of the colloidal ring along the vesicle endows the system with an effective elasticity, periodic cycles of inflation and deflation can lead to non-reciprocal shape changes of the vesicle-colloid hybrid, allowing it to swim in a low Reynolds number environment under reciprocal actuation. We design several actuation protocols that allow control over the swimming direction.

Key words: vesicles, colloids, microswimmers, curvature

中图分类号:  (Swimming microorganisms)

  • 47.63.Gd
47.63.mf (Low-Reynolds-number motions) 87.16.D- (Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles)