A geometric criterion for the optimal spreading of active polymers in porous media

Christina Kurzthaler; Suvendu Mandal; Tapomoy Bhattacharjee; Hartmut Löwen; Sujit S. Datta; Howard A. Stone

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26942-0

Nature Communications (Dec 2021)

A geometric criterion for the optimal spreading of active polymers in porous media

Christina Kurzthaler,
Suvendu Mandal,
Tapomoy Bhattacharjee,
Hartmut Löwen,
Sujit S. Datta,
Howard A. Stone

Affiliations

Christina Kurzthaler: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
Suvendu Mandal: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Tapomoy Bhattacharjee: The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University
Hartmut Löwen: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Sujit S. Datta: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University
Howard A. Stone: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26942-0
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Navigation through porous environments poses a major challenge for swimming microorganisms and future microrobots. This study predicts that their spreading becomes optimal when their run length is comparable to the longest available pore length.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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