https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00010-3
Regular Article - Soft Matter
Control over self-assembled Janus clusters by the strength of magnetic field in
1
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, HZDR, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
2
Institute of Physics, University of Augusburg, Universitätstrasse 1, 86159, Augusburg, Germany
Received:
30
September
2020
Accepted:
4
January
2021
Published online:
8
March
2021
Colloidal Janus microparticles can be propelled by controlled chemical reactions on their surfaces. Such microswimmers have been used as model systems for the behavior on the microscale and as carriers for cargo to well-defined positions in hard-to-access areas. Here we demonstrate the propagation motion of clusters of magnetic Janus particles driven by the catalytic decomposition of on their metallic caps. The magnetic moments of their caps lead to certain spatial arrangements of Janus particles, which can be influenced by external magnetic fields. We investigate how the arrangement of the particles and caps determines the driven motion of the particle clusters. In addition, we show the influence of confining walls on the cluster motion, which will be encountered in any real-life biological system.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, SIF and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021