Chemically Driven Multimodal Locomotion of Active, Flexible Sheets.
Raj Kumar Manna1, Oleg E Shklyaev1, Anna C Balazs1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15260, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|January 5, 2023
Summary
This study models an inhibitor-promoter feedback loop, revealing how chemical reactions drive fluid dynamics and deform soft materials. Oscillating chemical reactions cause dynamic sheet movement, impacting both fluid flow and reaction rates.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Chemical Engineering
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Inhibitor-promoter feedback loops are crucial in biological regulation.
- Chemical reactions can induce fluid flow and deform soft materials due to volume changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model a bio-inspired system coupling chemistry, hydrodynamics, and fluid-structure interactions.
- To investigate how an inhibitor-promoter reaction influences fluid flow and soft material deformation.
Main Methods:
- A computational model of a flexible sheet with catalytic patches driving an inhibitor-promoter reaction.
- Analysis of fluid-structure interactions under varying chemical conditions (oscillatory and non-oscillatory).
Main Results:
- Chemical oscillations led to dynamic sheet "flying," "crawling," or "swimming" behaviors.
- Non-oscillatory chemistry resulted in sheet translation driven by fluid flow.
- The sheet's motion influenced chemical oscillations, demonstrating a feedback loop.
Conclusions:
- Enzymatic reactions can generate hydrodynamic behaviors that deform soft tissues.
- This interplay between soft tissue shape, fluid dynamics, and enzymatic reactions is critical for biological regulatory pathways.
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