Abstract
Biological systems often involve the self-assembly of basic components into complex and functioning structures. Artificial systems that mimic such processes can provide a well-controlled setting to explore the principles involved and also synthesize useful micromachines. Our experiments show that immotile, but active, components self-assemble into two types of structure that exhibit the fundamental forms of motility: translation and rotation. Specifically, micron-scale metallic rods are designed to induce extensile surface flows in the presence of a chemical fuel; these rods interact with each other and pair up to form either a swimmer or a rotor. Such pairs can transition reversibly between these two configurations, leading to kinetics reminiscent of bacterial run-and-tumble motion.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 4584-4589 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Soft Matter |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 20 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2016 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemistry
- Condensed Matter Physics