Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment.
pH gradient-driven modular micro-swimmers are investigated as a model for a large variety of quasi-two-dimensional chemi-phoretic self-propelled entities. Using three-channel micro-photometry, we obtain a precise large field mapping of pH at a spatial resolution of a few microns and a pH resolution...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33759011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987694/ |
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ftpubmed:33759011 2024-09-15T18:01:37+00:00 Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. Möller, Nadir Liebchen, Benno Palberg, Thomas 2021 Mar 23 https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33759011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987694/ eng eng Springer https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33759011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987694/ Eur Phys J E Soft Matter ISSN:1292-895X Volume:44 Issue:3 Journal Article 2021 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 2024-07-25T16:05:00Z pH gradient-driven modular micro-swimmers are investigated as a model for a large variety of quasi-two-dimensional chemi-phoretic self-propelled entities. Using three-channel micro-photometry, we obtain a precise large field mapping of pH at a spatial resolution of a few microns and a pH resolution of [Formula: see text] units for swimmers of different velocities propelling on two differently charged substrates. We model our results in terms of solutions of the three-dimensional advection-diffusion equation for a 1:1 electrolyte, i.e. carbonic acid, which is produced by ion exchange and consumed by equilibration with dissolved [Formula: see text]. We demonstrate the dependence of gradient shape and steepness on swimmer speed, diffusivity of chemicals, as well as the fuel budget. Moreover, we experimentally observe a subtle, but significant feedback of the swimmer's immediate environment in terms of a substrate charge-mediated solvent convection. We discuss our findings in view of different recent results from other micro-fluidic or active matter investigations. We anticipate that they are relevant for quantitative modelling and targeted applications of diffusio-phoretic flows in general and artificial micro-swimmers in particular. Article in Journal/Newspaper Carbonic acid PubMed Central (PMC) The European Physical Journal E 44 3 |
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Open Polar |
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PubMed Central (PMC) |
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English |
description |
pH gradient-driven modular micro-swimmers are investigated as a model for a large variety of quasi-two-dimensional chemi-phoretic self-propelled entities. Using three-channel micro-photometry, we obtain a precise large field mapping of pH at a spatial resolution of a few microns and a pH resolution of [Formula: see text] units for swimmers of different velocities propelling on two differently charged substrates. We model our results in terms of solutions of the three-dimensional advection-diffusion equation for a 1:1 electrolyte, i.e. carbonic acid, which is produced by ion exchange and consumed by equilibration with dissolved [Formula: see text]. We demonstrate the dependence of gradient shape and steepness on swimmer speed, diffusivity of chemicals, as well as the fuel budget. Moreover, we experimentally observe a subtle, but significant feedback of the swimmer's immediate environment in terms of a substrate charge-mediated solvent convection. We discuss our findings in view of different recent results from other micro-fluidic or active matter investigations. We anticipate that they are relevant for quantitative modelling and targeted applications of diffusio-phoretic flows in general and artificial micro-swimmers in particular. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Möller, Nadir Liebchen, Benno Palberg, Thomas |
spellingShingle |
Möller, Nadir Liebchen, Benno Palberg, Thomas Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
author_facet |
Möller, Nadir Liebchen, Benno Palberg, Thomas |
author_sort |
Möller, Nadir |
title |
Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
title_short |
Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
title_full |
Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
title_fullStr |
Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
title_sort |
shaping the gradients driving phoretic micro-swimmers: influence of swimming speed, budget of carbonic acid and environment. |
publisher |
Springer |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33759011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987694/ |
genre |
Carbonic acid |
genre_facet |
Carbonic acid |
op_source |
Eur Phys J E Soft Matter ISSN:1292-895X Volume:44 Issue:3 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33759011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987694/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00026-9 |
container_title |
The European Physical Journal E |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
3 |
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1810438723254353920 |