"Metallic microswimmers driven up the wall by gravity" by Quentin Brosseau, Florencio Balboa Usabiaga et al.
 

Metallic microswimmers driven up the wall by gravity

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-21-2021

Abstract

Experiments on autophoretic bimetallic nanorods propelling within a fuel of hydrogen peroxide show that tail-heavy swimmers preferentially orient upwards and ascend along inclined planes. We show that such gravitaxis is strongly facilitated by interactions with solid boundaries, allowing even ultraheavy microswimmers to climb nearly vertical surfaces. Theory and simulations show that the buoyancy or gravitational torque that tends to align the rods is reinforced by a fore-aft drag asymmetry induced by hydrodynamic interactions with the wall.

Identifier

85110532015 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Soft Matter

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sm00554e

e-ISSN

17446848

ISSN

1744683X

PubMed ID

34259695

First Page

6597

Last Page

6602

Issue

27

Volume

17

Grant

CG002

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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