Directional flows using capillary assembly of photo-deformable colloidal particles at water-air interfaces.

ABSTRACT: Colloidal particles at liquid interfaces experience long-ranged capillary interactions, whose magnitude and directionality depend on the particle shapes. When particle shapes are determined by fabrication or synthesis, the resulting shape-mediated interactions are predefined and often lead to the formation of persistent interfacial structures. Here, we introduce polymer particles at water-air interfaces whose shape and, therefore, interactions can be altered by illumination with polarized light. Specifically, we selectively trigger capillary self-assembly by anisotropically deforming the particles at the interface. Intriguingly, further deformation of already assembled particles induces sustained interfacial flows with velocities of up to 90 μm/s. Benefitting from polarization-defined defo

SUBMITTER: Urban D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12847863 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature