Hydrodynamic front-like swarming of phoretically active dimeric colloids

Theoretical Soft-Matter and Biophysics, Institute of Complex Systems, Forschungszentrum Jülich 52425 Jülich, Germany

Received: 10 July 2017
Accepted: 17 November 2017

Abstract

Self-propelled phoretic colloids have recently emerged as a promising avenue for the design of artificial microswimmers. Here we show how systems of thermophobic dimeric swimmers can form swarms, in the sense of clusters with an ordered collective net motion. The interplay of attractive hydrodynamic with repulsive phoretic interactions leads to the formation of swarming structures with a flattened geometry in three-dimensional systems. The design of microfluidic devices and of bio-compatible microrobots can benefit from these dynamic and controllable systems.