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Title: Linking synchronization to self-assembly using magnetic Janus colloids

Journal Article · · Nature (London)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11619· OSTI ID:1875533
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States)
  2. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

Synchronization occurs widely in the natural and technological worlds, from the rhythm of applause and neuron firing1 to the quantum mechanics of coupled Josephson junctions2, but has not been used to produce new spatial structures. Our understanding of self-assembly has evolved independently in the fields of chemistry and materials, and with a few notable exceptions3,4 has focused on equilibrium rather than dynamical systems. Here we combine these two phenomena to create synchronization-selected microtubes of Janus colloids, micron-sized spherical particles with different surface chemistry on their opposing hemispheres, which we study using imaging and computer simulation. A thin nickel film coats one hemisphere of each silica particle to generate a discoid magnetic symmetry, such that in a precessing magnetic field its dynamics retain crucial phase freedom. Synchronizing their motion, these Janus spheres self-organize into micrometre-scale tubes in which the constituent particles rotate and oscillate continuously. In addition, the microtube must be tidally locked to the particles, that is, the particles must maintain their orientation within the rotating microtube. This requirement leads to a synchronization-induced structural transition that offers various applications based on the potential to form, disintegrate and fine-tune self-assembled in-motion structures in situ. Lastly, it offers a generalizable method of controlling structure using dynamic synchronization criteria rather than static energy minimization, and of designing new field-driven microscale devices in which components do not slavishly follow the external field.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; US Army Research Office; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-07ER46471; W911NF-10-1-0518; DMR-1006430; CBET-0853737
OSTI ID:
1875533
Journal Information:
Nature (London), Vol. 491, Issue 7425; ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Focusing and Sorting of Ellipsoidal Magnetic Particles in Microchannels journal November 2017
Rational Design and Synthesis of Janus Composites journal March 2014
Emergent collective phenomena in a mixture of hard shapes through active rotation text January 2013
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Magnetic quadrupole assemblies with arbitrary shapes and magnetizations text January 2019
Active dipole clusters: from helical motion to fission text January 2015
Magneto-capillary dynamics of amphiphilic Janus particles at curved liquid interfaces journal January 2018
Sedimentation and polar order of active bottom-heavy particles journal April 2013
Inhomogeneous assembly of driven nematic colloids journal January 2019
Janus nanoparticles inside polymeric materials: interfacial arrangement toward functional hybrid materials journal January 2017
Catalytically powered dynamic assembly of rod-shaped nanomotors and passive tracer particles journal October 2013
Fabrication of Janus droplets by evaporation driven liquid–liquid phase separation journal January 2016
Guided and magnetic self-assembly of tunable magnetoceptive gels journal September 2014
Bi-continuous emulsion using Janus particles journal January 2019
Non-equilibrium dynamics of magnetically anisotropic particles under oscillating fields journal July 2016
Flocking ferromagnetic colloids journal February 2017
Well-Defined Nanofibers with Tunable Morphology from Spherical Colloidal Building Blocks journal July 2013
Swimming in external fields journal November 2016
Dynamics in a one-dimensional ferrogel model: relaxation, pairing, shock-wave propagation text January 2018
Anomalous dispersions of ‘hedgehog’ particles journal January 2015
Driving self-assembly and emergent dynamics in colloidal suspensions by time-dependent magnetic fields journal November 2013
Non-equilibrium steady-state colloidal assembly dynamics journal May 2019
The influence of shape anisotropy on the microstructure of magnetic dipolar particles journal January 2013
Reconfigurable assembly of charged polymer-modified Janus and non-Janus particles: from half-raspberries to colloidal clusters and chains journal January 2019
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Recent advances in manipulation of micro- and nano-objects with magnetic fields at small scales journal January 2020
Pattern generation and motion control of a vortex-like paramagnetic nanoparticle swarm journal July 2018
Colloidal Superstructures Programmed into Magnetic Janus Particles journal December 2014
Self-Propelled Janus Microdimer Swimmers under a Rotating Magnetic Field journal November 2019
Emergence of traveling waves in linear arrays of electromechanical oscillators journal November 2018
Synthesis and evaluation of the SERS effect of Fe 3 O 4 –Ag Janus composite materials for separable, highly sensitive substrates journal January 2019
Recent Advances in Multicomponent Particle Assembly journal August 2018
Multifunctional superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: design, synthesis and biomedical photonic applications journal January 2013
Electrostatic-attraction-induced high internal phase emulsion for large-scale synthesis of amphiphilic Janus nanosheets journal January 2019
Emergence of reconfigurable wires and spinners via dynamic self-assembly journal March 2015
Rational design of ABC triblock terpolymer solution nanostructures with controlled patch morphology journal June 2016
Shape control and compartmentalization in active colloidal cells journal August 2015
Design colloidal particle morphology and self-assembly for coating applications journal January 2017
Colloidal transport through trap arrays controlled by active microswimmers journal June 2018
Propulsion of microspheres in fluids using rotating magnetic fields journal March 2019
Phototropic Multiresponsive Active Nanogels journal November 2019
Janus particles: from synthesis to application journal September 2017
Assembly of colloidal particles in solution journal October 2018
Nonsacrificial Self‐Template Synthesis of Colloidal Magnetic Yolk–Shell Mesoporous Organosilicas for Efficient Oil/Water Interface Catalysis journal March 2019
Tunable self-healing of magnetically propelling colloidal carpets journal June 2019
Synthesis of Polyampholyte Janus‐like Microgels by Coacervation of Reactive Precursors in Precipitation Polymerization journal December 2019
Assembly Modulated by Particle Position and Shape: A New Concept in Self-Assembly journal November 2017
Oscillators that sync and swarm text January 2017

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