Shape-Directed Dynamic Assembly of Active Colloidal Metamachines

Abstract

Modularly organizing active micromachines into high-grade metamachines makes a great leap for operating the microscopic world in a biomimetic way. However, modulating the nonreciprocal interactions among different colloidal motors through chemical reactions to achieve the controllable construction of active colloidal metamachines with specific dynamic properties remains challenging. Here, we report the phototactic active colloidal metamachines constructed by shape-directed dynamic self-assembly of chemically driven peanut-shaped TiO2 colloidal motors and Janus spherical Pt/SiO2 colloidal motors. The long-range diffusiophoretic attraction generated by the photocatalytic reaction dominates the sensing and collision of peanut TiO2 motors with Janus Pt/SiO2 motors. The coupling of local chemical concentration gradient fields between the two types of motors generates short-range site-selective interactions, promoting the shape-directed assembly toward active colloidal metamachines with well-defined spatial configurations. Metamachines, made of colloidal motors, exhibit configuration-dependent kinematics. The colloidal metamachines can be reversibly reconstructed by adjusting lighting conditions and can move phototactically along a predetermined path under the structured light field. Such chemically driven colloidal metamachines that integrate multiple active agents provide a significant avenue for fabricating active soft matter materials and intelligent robotic systems with advanced applications.