Emergent Softening and Stiffening Dictate Transport of Active Colloidal Filaments

IF 16 1区 材料科学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
ACS Nano Pub Date : 2025-08-19 DOI:10.1021/acsnano.5c08920
Bipul Biswas, Prasanna More and Hima Nagamanasa Kandula*, 
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Active semiflexible filaments are crucial for biophysical processes, yet insights into their single-filament behavior have predominantly relied on theory and simulations, owing to the scarcity of controllable synthetic systems. Here, we present an experimental platform of active semiflexible filaments composed of dielectric colloidal particles activated by an alternating electric field that induces contractile or extensile electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows. Our experiments reveal that contractile flow-generating filaments (CFs) undergo softening, significantly expanding the range of accessible conformations, whereas extensile filaments (EFs) exhibit active stiffening. By independently tuning filament elasticity and activity, we show that the competition between elastic restoring forces and emergent hydrodynamic interactions along the filament governs conformational dynamics. Specifically, we find that the time scale of conformational dynamics governs the transport of active filaments: enhanced fluctuations lead to diffusive motion despite activity, whereas activity-induced stiffening enables directed propulsion in nonlinear filaments. Our findings highlight that conformational changes, not just geometric or chemical asymmetry, enable propulsion of flexible microswimmers. These insights are essential for designing flexible microswimmers, whose transport can be tailored through controlled activity and shape changes. Additionally, our system provides a powerful platform for gaining fundamental insights into active filament dynamics.

Abstract Image

出现的软化和硬化决定了活性胶体细丝的运输。
活性半柔性细丝对生物物理过程至关重要,但由于缺乏可控的合成系统,对其单细丝行为的了解主要依赖于理论和模拟。在这里,我们提出了一个由电介质胶体粒子组成的主动半柔性细丝的实验平台,该细丝由交变电场激活,可诱导收缩或拉伸的电流体动力学(EHD)流动。我们的实验表明,收缩生流细丝(CFs)经历软化,显著扩大了可达构象的范围,而拉伸细丝(EFs)表现出主动硬化。通过独立调节丝的弹性和活性,我们表明弹性恢复力和沿丝的紧急流体动力相互作用之间的竞争支配构象动力学。具体来说,我们发现构象动力学的时间尺度控制着活性细丝的传输:尽管有活性,但增强的波动导致扩散运动,而活性诱导的强化使非线性细丝能够定向推进。我们的研究结果强调了构象的变化,而不仅仅是几何或化学的不对称,使柔韧的微游泳者能够推进。这些见解对于设计灵活的微型游泳者至关重要,它们的运输可以通过控制活动和形状变化来定制。此外,我们的系统提供了一个强大的平台,获得基本的见解活动灯丝动力学。
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来源期刊
ACS Nano
ACS Nano 工程技术-材料科学:综合
CiteScore
26.00
自引率
4.10%
发文量
1627
审稿时长
1.7 months
期刊介绍: ACS Nano, published monthly, serves as an international forum for comprehensive articles on nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the intersections of chemistry, biology, materials science, physics, and engineering. The journal fosters communication among scientists in these communities, facilitating collaboration, new research opportunities, and advancements through discoveries. ACS Nano covers synthesis, assembly, characterization, theory, and simulation of nanostructures, nanobiotechnology, nanofabrication, methods and tools for nanoscience and nanotechnology, and self- and directed-assembly. Alongside original research articles, it offers thorough reviews, perspectives on cutting-edge research, and discussions envisioning the future of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
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