Search

Large‐scale particle manipulation with single‐particle precision and further flexible patterning into functional structures is of huge potentials in many fields including bio‐optoelectronic sensing, colloidal lithography, and wearable devices. However, it is very challenging for the precision manipulation and flexible patterning of particles on complicated curved and functional substrates. In this work, opto‐thermal‐tension (OTT) mediated precision large‐scale particle manipulation and flexible patterning based on soap film are reported. Flexible manipulation and subsequent patterning of particles with single‐particle resolution is realized by optothermal regulated surface tension on soap films. Reconfigurable patterning of particle structures with different shapes as well as large‐scale ordered structures (up to 2000 particles) with particle sizes spanning two orders of magnitude (0.5–20 µm) is realized using this OTT mediation method. Importantly, due to the high flexibility of soap films, the patterned large‐scale particle structures can be non‐destructively transferred to curved and rough substrates, including rough iron pipe surface, leaf and skin surface. This OTT mediated method provides a new method for precision large‐scale particle manipulation and flexible patterning with high versatility on complicated functional substrates, with great potentials for optoelectronic and biophotonic sensing and wearable device design on different curved and rough functional substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial microswarms with a collective intelligence that can execute cooperative tasks will serve as intelligent micro/nanorobot systems for many biomedical and microengineering applications. However, it remains challenging to construct microswarms with 3D dynamic and reconfigurable structures that can execute complex spatiotemporal‐dependent tasks. Here, simply using a tapered optical fiber (TOF) with 1.55 µm wavelength light irradiation, a convenient opto‐hydrodynamic strategy for 3D dynamic microswarm actuation based on photothermal gradient‐induced Marangoni effect is reported. With light irradiation at the water‐air interface, randomly distributed microparticles are reorganized into firework‐like 3D swarms with four petals. Such petals in the microswarm are controllably reconfigurable by adjusting the angle between TOF and water‐air interface. These microswarms are also deformable and capable of performing stable migration by simply moving the TOF. Importantly, this opto‐hydrodynamic strategy is applicable for the formation of artificial 3D‐dynamic bio‐microswarms using different biological cells, which further facilitate the regulation of biological processes such as bacteria growth/division. This opto‐hydrodynamic strategy provides a new solution for 3D dynamic microswarm formation, with many potentials for biomedical and microengineering applications that need spatiotemporal‐dependent individual cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]