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Hierarchical Microswarms with Leader–Follower‐Like Structures: Electrohydrodynamic Self‐Organization and Multimode Collective Photoresponses
Author(s) -
Liang Xiong,
Mou Fangzhi,
Huang Zhen,
Zhang Jianhua,
You Ming,
Xu Leilei,
Luo Ming,
Guan Jianguo
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201908602
Subject(s) - phototaxis , electrohydrodynamics , electric field , nanotechnology , materials science , self organization , dielectric , flocking (texture) , biological system , computer science , optoelectronics , physics , artificial intelligence , biology , botany , composite material , quantum mechanics
Swarming micro/nanomotors can self‐organize into cohesive groups to execute cooperative tasks. To date, research work has focused on the construction of egalitarian microswarms composed of similar individuals. The construction and collective behaviors of hierarchical leader–follower‐like microswarms are demonstrated. By inducing converging electrohydrodynamic flows under an AC electric field, dielectric microparticles with different sizes and dielectric properties can hierarchically self‐organize into leader–follower‐like microswarms under attractive electrohydrodynamic interactions, and show novel emergent collective behaviors. First, different from immobile single constituents or egalitarian clusters, the hierarchical microswarms autonomously move with tunable speed. Second, they exhibit multimode collective photoresponses emerging from different behaviors of the constituents in response to light signals. With a vertical UV signal, the photoresponsive followers tend to surround the leader and stop the microswarm. In response to sidewise UV signals, the constituents with stronger phototaxis would migrate to the position away from light stimuli, and thus the microswarms reorient parallel/antiparallel to the light direction and perform collective positive/negative phototaxis. Due to differential roles and huge design spaces of constituents, the hierarchical microswarms are envisioned to possess merits of high‐efficiency, multiresponsiveness, and multifunctions, and may serve as intelligent micro/nanorobot systems for biomedicine and microengineering.