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Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures
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Self-propelling colloids with finite state dynamics.

Steven van Kesteren1, Laura Alvarez1,2, Silvia Arrese-Igor3

  • 1Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 7, 2023
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed self-propelling colloidal clusters that change their movement and shape in response to light. These adaptive micro-robots offer a pathway toward advanced autonomous systems at the microscale.

Keywords:
active mattermicroroboticsmicroswimmers

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Robotics
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Developing autonomous systems requires materials that can sense, adapt, and respond to stimuli.
  • Translating macroscopic soft robotics to the microscale faces challenges in fabrication, design, and internal response mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To create self-propelling colloidal clusters with controllable internal states for microscale autonomous systems.
  • To demonstrate light-controlled, temperature-induced transitions in microgels for adaptive robotic functions.

Main Methods:

  • Capillary assembly of polystyrene colloids and two types of thermoresponsive microgels.
  • Actuation of colloidal clusters using AC electric fields.
  • Light-controlled temperature modulation to induce reversible microgel transitions.

Main Results:

  • Achieved self-propelling colloidal clusters with finite, reversible internal states.
  • Demonstrated three distinct dynamical states (motility and shape) controlled by light intensity.
  • Showcased sequential microgel reconfiguration influencing cluster velocity and trajectory.

Conclusions:

  • The developed colloidal clusters represent a significant step towards adaptive autonomous systems at the colloidal scale.
  • The fabrication and control strategy enable tunable responses and pave the way for more complex reconfigurable systems.