Colloidal caterpillars for cargo transportation

Soft Matter. 2014 Nov 28;10(44):8813-20. doi: 10.1039/c4sm01354a.

Abstract

Tunable transport of tiny objects in fluid systems is demanding in diverse fields of science such as drug delivery, active matter far from equilibrium, and lab-on-a-chip applications. Here, we report the directed motion of colloidal particles and self-assembled colloidal chains in a nematic liquid crystal matrix using electrohydrodynamic convection (EHC) rolls. The asymmetric distortion of the molecular orientation around the particles results - for single particles - in a hopping motion from one EHC roll to the next and - for colloidal chains - in a caterpillar-like motion in the direction perpendicular to the roll axes. We demonstrate the use of colloidal chains as microtraction engines for the transport of various types of microcargo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Liquid Crystals / chemistry
  • Motion*
  • Polymerization
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Colloids
  • Drug Carriers