Clustering induces switching between phoretic and osmotic propulsion in active colloidal rafts.

ABSTRACT: Active particles driven by chemical reactions are the subject of intense research to date due to their rich physics, being intrinsically far from equilibrium, and their multiple technological applications. Recent attention in this field is now shifting towards exploring the fascinating dynamics of active and passive mixtures. Here we realize active colloidal rafts, composed of a single catalytic particle encircled by several shells of passive microspheres, and assembled via light-activated chemophoresis. We show that the cluster propulsion mechanism transits from diffusiophoretic to diffusioosmotic as the number of colloidal shells increases. Using the Lorentz reciprocal theorem, we demonstrate that in large clusters self-propulsion emerges by considering the hydrodynamic flow via the diff

SUBMITTER: Boniface D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11227538 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature