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Active Particles in Complex and Crowded Environments

Bechinger, C; Di Leonardo, R; Löwen, H; Reichhardt, C; Volpe, G; Volpe, G; (2016) Active Particles in Complex and Crowded Environments. Reviews of Modern Physics , 88 , Article 045006. 10.1103/RevModPhys.88.045006. Green open access

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Abstract

Differently from passive Brownian particles, active particles, also known as self-propelled Brownian particles or microswimmers and nanoswimmers, are capable of taking up energy from their environment and converting it into directed motion. Because of this constant flow of energy, their behavior can be explained and understood only within the framework of nonequilibrium physics. In the biological realm, many cells perform directed motion, for example, as a way to browse for nutrients or to avoid toxins. Inspired by these motile microorganisms, researchers have been developing artificial particles that feature similar swimming behaviors based on different mechanisms. These man-made micromachines and nanomachines hold a great potential as autonomous agents for health care, sustainability, and security applications. With a focus on the basic physical features of the interactions of self-propelled Brownian particles with a crowded and complex environment, this comprehensive review will provide a guided tour through its basic principles, the development of artificial self-propelling microparticles and nanoparticles, and their application to the study of nonequilibrium phenomena, as well as the open challenges that the field is currently facing.

Type: Article
Title: Active Particles in Complex and Crowded Environments
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1103/RevModPhys.88.045006
Publisher version: http://doi.org/
Language: English
Additional information: © 2016 American Physical Society.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1508110
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