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Swimming by reciprocal motion at low Reynolds number

Author

Listed:
  • Tian Qiu

    (Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
    Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Tung-Chun Lee

    (Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems)

  • Andrew G. Mark

    (Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems)

  • Konstantin I. Morozov

    (Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology)

  • Raphael Münster

    (Institute of Applied Mathematics (LS III), TU Dortmund, Vogelpothsweg 87, Dortmund 44227, Germany)

  • Otto Mierka

    (Institute of Applied Mathematics (LS III), TU Dortmund, Vogelpothsweg 87, Dortmund 44227, Germany)

  • Stefan Turek

    (Institute of Applied Mathematics (LS III), TU Dortmund, Vogelpothsweg 87, Dortmund 44227, Germany)

  • Alexander M. Leshansky

    (Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
    Technion Autonomous Systems Program (TASP))

  • Peer Fischer

    (Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
    Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, Stuttgart 70569, Germany)

Abstract

Biological microorganisms swim with flagella and cilia that execute nonreciprocal motions for low Reynolds number (Re) propulsion in viscous fluids. This symmetry requirement is a consequence of Purcell’s scallop theorem, which complicates the actuation scheme needed by microswimmers. However, most biomedically important fluids are non-Newtonian where the scallop theorem no longer holds. It should therefore be possible to realize a microswimmer that moves with reciprocal periodic body-shape changes in non-Newtonian fluids. Here we report a symmetric ‘micro-scallop’, a single-hinge microswimmer that can propel in shear thickening and shear thinning (non-Newtonian) fluids by reciprocal motion at low Re. Excellent agreement between our measurements and both numerical and analytical theoretical predictions indicates that the net propulsion is caused by modulation of the fluid viscosity upon varying the shear rate. This reciprocal swimming mechanism opens new possibilities in designing biomedical microdevices that can propel by a simple actuation scheme in non-Newtonian biological fluids.

Suggested Citation

  • Tian Qiu & Tung-Chun Lee & Andrew G. Mark & Konstantin I. Morozov & Raphael Münster & Otto Mierka & Stefan Turek & Alexander M. Leshansky & Peer Fischer, 2014. "Swimming by reciprocal motion at low Reynolds number," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6119
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6119
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    Cited by:

    1. Jakub Janiak & Yuyang Li & Yann Ferry & Alexander A. Doinikov & Daniel Ahmed, 2023. "Acoustic microbubble propulsion, train-like assembly and cargo transport," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Ugur Bozuyuk & Amirreza Aghakhani & Yunus Alapan & Muhammad Yunusa & Paul Wrede & Metin Sitti, 2022. "Reduced rotational flows enable the translation of surface-rolling microrobots in confined spaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Sung-Jo Kim & Žiga Kos & Eujin Um & Joonwoo Jeong, 2024. "Symmetrically pulsating bubbles swim in an anisotropic fluid by nematodynamics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Laliphat Manamanchaiyaporn & Tiantian Xu & Xinyu Wu, 2020. "An Optimal Design of an Electromagnetic Actuation System towards a Large Homogeneous Magnetic Field and Accessible Workspace for Magnetic Manipulation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-24, February.

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