1 research outputs found
Self-Propelled Microswimmer Actuated by Stimuli-Sensitive Bilayered Hydrogel
Using computational modeling, we
design a microscopic swimmer made
of a bilayered responsive hydrogel capable of swimming in a viscous
fluid when actuated by a periodically applied stimulus. The gel has
an X-shaped geometry and two bonded layers, one of which is responsive
to environmental changes and the other which is passive. When the
stimulus is turned on, the responsive layer swells and causes the
swimmer to deform. We demonstrate that when such stimulus-induced
deformations occur periodically the gel swimmer effectively propels
forward through the fluid. We show that the swimming speed depends
on the relative stiffness of the two gel layers composing the swimmer,
and we determine the optimal stiffness ratio that maximizes the swimming
speed