Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Spinning Microgears
ORAL
Abstract
In this work, we demonstrate a hierarchical approach to create complex, robust, and dynamical superstructures using synthetic particles.
Our experiment relies on the control of two ingredients: proper design of the individual building blocks, and their response to environmental stimuli. The first building block in our study is a piece of photocatalytic material. Under illumination, it consumes the fuel available in the solution. We use this effect to engineer phototactic swimmers, attracted to the region of high illumination. From this, we use light as an environmental cue to guide the swimmers to form robust and highly persistent microgears. We use them as new building blocks and address the multiple rotors dynamics. We specifically address the case of a pair, and show that the microgears move collectively or synchronize. This results from the interactions between the anisotropic chemical clouds of each rotors. Increasing the number of gears (N = 7), we form an active crystal which can rotate, re-organize, and change shape, depending on its internal constitution and light environment.
Our work is an important step toward the creation of artificial systems that mimic biological organization on large scales.
Our experiment relies on the control of two ingredients: proper design of the individual building blocks, and their response to environmental stimuli. The first building block in our study is a piece of photocatalytic material. Under illumination, it consumes the fuel available in the solution. We use this effect to engineer phototactic swimmers, attracted to the region of high illumination. From this, we use light as an environmental cue to guide the swimmers to form robust and highly persistent microgears. We use them as new building blocks and address the multiple rotors dynamics. We specifically address the case of a pair, and show that the microgears move collectively or synchronize. This results from the interactions between the anisotropic chemical clouds of each rotors. Increasing the number of gears (N = 7), we form an active crystal which can rotate, re-organize, and change shape, depending on its internal constitution and light environment.
Our work is an important step toward the creation of artificial systems that mimic biological organization on large scales.
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Presenters
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Antoine Aubret
Physics, University of California San Diego
Authors
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Antoine Aubret
Physics, University of California San Diego
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Mena Youssef
Chemistry, New York University, Chemistry, NYU
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Stefano Sacanna
New York University, Chemistry, New York University, Chemistry, NYU, Department of Chemistry, New York University
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Jeremie Palacci
Physics, University of California San Diego, Physics, UCSD