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Activity-induced interactions and cooperation of artificial microswimmers in one-dimensional environments

Author

Listed:
  • Stefania Ketzetzi

    (Leiden University)

  • Melissa Rinaldin

    (Leiden University
    Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)

  • Pim Dröge

    (Leiden University)

  • Joost de Graaf

    (Utrecht University)

  • Daniela J. Kraft

    (Leiden University)

Abstract

Cooperative motion in biological microswimmers is crucial for their survival as it facilitates adhesion to surfaces, formation of hierarchical colonies, efficient motion, and enhanced access to nutrients. Here, we confine synthetic, catalytic microswimmers along one-dimensional paths and demonstrate that they too show a variety of cooperative behaviours. We find that their speed increases with the number of swimmers, and that the activity induces a preferred distance between swimmers. Using a minimal model, we ascribe this behavior to an effective activity-induced potential that stems from a competition between chemical and hydrodynamic coupling. These interactions further induce active self-assembly into trains where swimmers move at a well-separated, stable distance with respect to each other, as well as compact chains that can elongate, break-up, become immobilized and remobilized. We identify the crucial role that environment morphology and swimmer directionality play on these highly dynamic chain behaviors. These activity-induced interactions open the door toward exploiting cooperation for increasing the efficiency of microswimmer motion, with temporal and spatial control, thereby enabling them to perform intricate tasks inside complex environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefania Ketzetzi & Melissa Rinaldin & Pim Dröge & Joost de Graaf & Daniela J. Kraft, 2022. "Activity-induced interactions and cooperation of artificial microswimmers in one-dimensional environments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29430-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29430-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zuochen Wang & Zhisheng Wang & Jiahui Li & Changhao Tian & Yufeng Wang, 2020. "Active colloidal molecules assembled via selective and directional bonds," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Sambeeta Das & Astha Garg & Andrew I. Campbell & Jonathan Howse & Ayusman Sen & Darrell Velegol & Ramin Golestanian & Stephen J. Ebbens, 2015. "Boundaries can steer active Janus spheres," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Francisca Guzmán-Lastra & Andreas Kaiser & Hartmut Löwen, 2016. "Fission and fusion scenarios for magnetic microswimmer clusters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Juliane Simmchen & Jaideep Katuri & William E. Uspal & Mihail N. Popescu & Mykola Tasinkevych & Samuel Sánchez, 2016. "Topographical pathways guide chemical microswimmers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, April.
    5. Harry Moore & Katerina Dvoráková & Nicholas Jenkins & William Breed, 2002. "Exceptional sperm cooperation in the wood mouse," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6894), pages 174-177, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Solenn Riedel & Ludwig A. Hoffmann & Luca Giomi & Daniela J. Kraft, 2024. "Designing highly efficient interlocking interactions in anisotropic active particles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.

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