基于表面的胶体微轮推进与控制
Surface-enabled propulsion and control of colloidal microwheels.
作者信息
Tasci T O, Herson P S, Neeves K B, Marr D W M
机构信息
Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80045, USA.
出版信息
Nat Commun. 2016 Jan 4;7:10225. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10225.
Propulsion at the microscale requires unique strategies such as the undulating or rotating filaments that microorganisms have evolved to swim. These features however can be difficult to artificially replicate and control, limiting the ability to actuate and direct engineered microdevices to targeted locations within practical timeframes. An alternative propulsion strategy to swimming is rolling. Here we report that low-strength magnetic fields can reversibly assemble wheel-shaped devices in situ from individual colloidal building blocks and also drive, rotate and direct them along surfaces at velocities faster than most other microscale propulsion schemes. By varying spin frequency and angle relative to the surface, we demonstrate that microwheels can be directed rapidly and precisely along user-defined paths. Such in situ assembly of readily modified colloidal devices capable of targeted movements provides a practical transport and delivery tool for microscale applications, especially those in complex or tortuous geometries.
微尺度下的推进需要独特的策略,比如微生物进化出的用于游动的波动或旋转细丝。然而,这些特征很难人工复制和控制,限制了在实际时间范围内驱动和引导工程化微器件至目标位置的能力。一种替代游动的推进策略是滚动。在此我们报告,低强度磁场可将单个胶体构建块原位可逆地组装成轮状装置,还能驱动它们、使其旋转并沿着表面引导,速度比大多数其他微尺度推进方案更快。通过改变自旋频率和相对于表面的角度,我们证明微轮可沿着用户定义的路径快速且精确地引导。这种能够进行目标运动的易修饰胶体装置的原位组装,为微尺度应用,尤其是那些具有复杂或曲折几何形状的应用,提供了一种实用的运输和递送工具。