Solutal-buoyancy-driven intertwining and rotation of patterned elastic sheets.

ABSTRACT: The intertwining of strands into 3D spirals is ubiquitous in biology, enabling functions from information storage to maintenance of cell structure and directed locomotion. In synthetic systems, entwined fibers can provide superior mechanical properties and act as artificial muscle or structural reinforcements. Unlike structures in nature, the entwinement of synthetic materials typically requires application of an external stimulus, such as mechanical actuation, light, or a magnetic field. Herein, we use computational modeling to design microscale sheets that mimic biology by transducing chemical energy into mechanical action, and thereby self-organize and interlink into 3D spirals, which spontaneously rotate. These flexible sheets are immersed in a fluid-filled microchamber that encompasse

SUBMITTER: Manna RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9802271 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature