Removal of Microparticles by Ciliated Surfaces-an Experimental Study

Biological cilia are versatile hair-like organelles that are very efficient in manipulating particles for, e.g., feeding, antifouling, and cell transport. Inspired by the versatility of cilia, this paper experimentally demonstrates active particle-removal by self-cleaning surfaces that are fully or partially covered with micromolded magnetic artificial cilia (MAC). Actuated by a rotating magnet, the MAC can perform a tilted conical motion, which leads to the removal of spherical particles of different sizes in water, as well as irregular-shaped sand grains both in water and in air. These findings can contribute to the development of novel particulate manipulation and self-cleaning/antifouling surfaces, which can be applied, e.g., to prevent fouling of (bio)sensors in lab-on-a-chip devices, and to prevent biofouling of submerged surfaces such as marine sensors and water quality analyzers.