Active nematic pumps

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Vélez-Ceron, Ignasi, Coelho, Rodrigo C. V., Guillamat, Pau, Vergés-Vilarrubia, Marc, da Gama, Margarida Telo, Sagués, Francesc, Ignés-Mullol, Jordi
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
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author Vélez-Ceron, Ignasi
Coelho, Rodrigo C. V.
Guillamat, Pau
Vergés-Vilarrubia, Marc
da Gama, Margarida Telo
Sagués, Francesc
Ignés-Mullol, Jordi
author_facet Vélez-Ceron, Ignasi
Coelho, Rodrigo C. V.
Guillamat, Pau
Vergés-Vilarrubia, Marc
da Gama, Margarida Telo
Sagués, Francesc
Ignés-Mullol, Jordi
contents Microfluidics involves the manipulation of flows at the microscale, typically requiring external power sources to generate pressure gradients. Alternatively, harnessing flows from active fluids, which are usually chaotic, has been proposed as a paradigm for the development of micro-machines. Here, by combining experimental realizations and simulations, we demonstrate that the addition of triangular-shaped inclusions into an active nematic gel can locally break the fore-aft symmetry of active turbulence and stabilize flow fields with self-pumping capabilities. The proposed strategy has enabled us to generate wall-free and self-powered microfluidic systems capable of both cargo transport and mixing along with the downstream flow. We analyze the performance of these active pumps, both isolated and within cooperative ensembles in terms of their output velocity and hydrostatic pressure buildup. Finally, we demonstrate strategies to incorporate them into specifically designed microfluidic platforms to advantageously tailor the geometry of active flows. Our results reveal new possibilities for leveraging the self-organized mechanodynamics of active fluids.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_09960
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Active nematic pumps
Vélez-Ceron, Ignasi
Coelho, Rodrigo C. V.
Guillamat, Pau
Vergés-Vilarrubia, Marc
da Gama, Margarida Telo
Sagués, Francesc
Ignés-Mullol, Jordi
Soft Condensed Matter
Microfluidics involves the manipulation of flows at the microscale, typically requiring external power sources to generate pressure gradients. Alternatively, harnessing flows from active fluids, which are usually chaotic, has been proposed as a paradigm for the development of micro-machines. Here, by combining experimental realizations and simulations, we demonstrate that the addition of triangular-shaped inclusions into an active nematic gel can locally break the fore-aft symmetry of active turbulence and stabilize flow fields with self-pumping capabilities. The proposed strategy has enabled us to generate wall-free and self-powered microfluidic systems capable of both cargo transport and mixing along with the downstream flow. We analyze the performance of these active pumps, both isolated and within cooperative ensembles in terms of their output velocity and hydrostatic pressure buildup. Finally, we demonstrate strategies to incorporate them into specifically designed microfluidic platforms to advantageously tailor the geometry of active flows. Our results reveal new possibilities for leveraging the self-organized mechanodynamics of active fluids.
title Active nematic pumps
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09960