Issue 8, 2013

Self-assembled magnetocapillary swimmers

Abstract

When particles are suspended at air–water interfaces in the presence of a vertical magnetic field, dipole–dipole repulsion competes with capillary attraction such that 2d ordered structures self-assemble. By adding a horizontal and oscillating magnetic field, periodic deformations of the assembly are induced. We show herein that pulsating particle arrangements start to swim at low Reynolds number. We identify the physical mechanisms and geometrical ingredients behind this cooperative locomotion. These physical mechanisms can be exploited to much smaller scales, offering the possibility to create artificial and versatile microscopic swimmers.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembled magnetocapillary swimmers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Aug 2012
Accepted
17 Dec 2012
First published
10 Jan 2013

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 2420-2425

Self-assembled magnetocapillary swimmers

G. Lumay, N. Obara, F. Weyer and N. Vandewalle, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 2420 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM27598H

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