Observation of a backward sliding motion for rollers on surfaces in viscoelastic fluid

TL;DR

Rollers in viscoelastic fluids can slide backward instead of forward, which could lead to new micro-scale actuation systems for cargo delivery.

Contribution

Discovery of backward sliding motion in viscoelastic fluids due to viscoelastic stress, enabling new microscale actuation systems.

Findings

Rollers in viscoelastic fluids slide backward despite rotating forward due to viscoelastic stress.

Viscoelastic flow fields create an effective attraction between the roller and the surface.

This behavior enables microscale gearing systems for motion transmission.

Abstract

When wheels roll on the ground, they move forward via the contact friction. This propulsion mechanism is also frequently used to create artificial microswimmers in viscous liquid environment. In such cases hydrodynamic lubrication at the contact point greatly reduces the driving forces, nevertheless forward motion can be still remarkable under rapid rotation. Interestingly, here we demonstrate that when rolling in viscoelastic fluids, a roller can slide backwards even though its rotational direction suggests forward motion. These fluids exhibit along sheared flow lines a non-zero elastic tension due to the stretch of the viscoelastic media. When the roller rolls on a surface within such fluid, a rear-front flow-field asymmetry develops, which leads to a net backward viscoelastic stress that forces the roller to slide backwards. In addition, the viscoelastic flow field results in an effective attraction between the roller and the surface. This allows the assembling of a microscale gearing system which transmit motion from a rotating colloid to a much larger object. Our findings opens up new directions for the fabrication of micro scale actuation systems relevant for active matter design and cargo delivery in complex liquid environment.

The behavior of rollers in viscoelastic fluids is not well understood, despite their potential applications in micro-scale actuation systems and targeted cargo delivery. This study demonstrates that rollers can exhibit a backward sliding motion when rolling in viscoelastic fluids, revealing a net backward viscoelastic stress that surpasses the forward frictional force.

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