Abstract
Experiments on autophoretic bimetallic nanorods propelling within a fuel of hydrogen peroxide show that tail-heavy swimmers preferentially orient upwards and ascend along inclined planes. We show that such gravitaxis is strongly facilitated by interactions with solid boundaries, allowing even ultraheavy microswimmers to climb nearly vertical surfaces. Theory and simulations show that the buoyancy or gravitational torque that tends to align the rods is reinforced by a fore-aft drag asymmetry induced by hydrodynamic interactions with the wall.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6597-6602 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Soft Matter |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 27 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 21 2021 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Chemistry
- Condensed Matter Physics