Flagellated Janus particles for multimodal actuation and transport

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Catalytic Janus particles offer self-propulsion for applications like drug delivery but face limitations in propulsion mechanisms.
• Existing catalytic propulsion requires specific fuel and fluid conditions, restricting their versatility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the dynamic propulsion of catalytic Janus particles by incorporating flagellar filaments.
• To enable Janus particles with interchangeable catalytic and flagellar swimming propulsion modes.

Main Methods:

• Functionalizing Janus particles with flagellar filaments on one hemisphere.
• Utilizing rotating magnetic fields to actuate flagellated Janus particles.
• Experimentally demonstrating propulsion in both Newtonian and shear-thickening fluids.

Main Results:

• Flagellated Janus particles successfully mimicked bacterial flagellar rotation for propulsion.
• Particles demonstrated predictable behavior and precise trajectory control under closed-loop feedback.
• Achieved propulsion in diverse fluid environments, including shear-thickening fluids.

Conclusions:

• Developed the first Janus particles capable of interchangeable catalytic and flagellar propulsion.
• These flagellated Janus particles show significant promise for advanced in vivo operations and targeted delivery systems.