15 research outputs found
Activity-controlled annealing of colloidal monolayers.
Molecular motors are essential to the living, generating fluctuations that boost transport and assist assembly. Active colloids, that consume energy to move, hold similar potential for man-made materials controlled by forces generated from within. Yet, their use as a powerhouse in materials science lacks. Here we show a massive acceleration of the annealing of a monolayer of passive beads by moderate addition of self-propelled microparticles. We rationalize our observations with a model of collisions that drive active fluctuations and activate the annealing. The experiment is quantitatively compared with Brownian dynamic simulations that further unveil a dynamical transition in the mechanism of annealing. Active dopants travel uniformly in the system or co-localize at the grain boundaries as a result of the persistence of their motion. Our findings uncover the potential of internal activity to control materials and lay the groundwork for the rise of materials science beyond equilibrium
Artificial Rheotaxis
Motility is a basic feature of living microorganisms, and how it works is
often determined by environmental cues. Recent efforts have focused on develop-
ing artificial systems that can mimic microorganisms, and in particular their
self-propulsion. Here, we report on the design and characterization of syn-
thetic self-propelled particles that migrate upstream, known as positive rheo-
taxis. This phenomenon results from a purely physical mechanism involving the
interplay between the polarity of the particles and their alignment by a
viscous torque. We show quantitative agreement between experimental data and a
simple model of an overdamped Brownian pendulum. The model no- tably predicts
the existence of a stagnation point in a diverging flow. We take advantage of
this property to demonstrate that our active particles can sense and
predictably organize in an imposed flow. Our colloidal system represents an
important step towards the realization of biomimetic micro-systems withthe
ability to sense and respond to environmental changesComment: Published in Science Advances [Open access journal of Science
Magazine
Self Assembled Particles
A self-assembling structure using non-equilibrium driving forces leading to 'living crystals' and other maniputable particles with a complex dynamics. The dynamic self-assembly assembly results from a competition between self-propulsion of particles and an attractive interaction between the particles. As a result of non-equilibrium driving forces, the crystals form, grow, collide, anneal, repair themselves and spontaneously self-destruct, thereby enabling reconfiguration and assembly to achieve a desired property
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Activity-controlled annealing of colloidal monolayers.
Molecular motors are essential to the living, generating fluctuations that boost transport and assist assembly. Active colloids, that consume energy to move, hold similar potential for man-made materials controlled by forces generated from within. Yet, their use as a powerhouse in materials science lacks. Here we show a massive acceleration of the annealing of a monolayer of passive beads by moderate addition of self-propelled microparticles. We rationalize our observations with a model of collisions that drive active fluctuations and activate the annealing. The experiment is quantitatively compared with Brownian dynamic simulations that further unveil a dynamical transition in the mechanism of annealing. Active dopants travel uniformly in the system or co-localize at the grain boundaries as a result of the persistence of their motion. Our findings uncover the potential of internal activity to control materials and lay the groundwork for the rise of materials science beyond equilibrium
Rotation Control, Interlocking, and Self‐Positioning of Active Cogwheels
International audienc
Metamachines of Pluripotent Colloids
International audienc