Background

A number of different approaches have been proposed, namely magnetic actuation, hydro-gel
contraction, optical and photo responsivity, electrostatic and dielectric activation. Belardi J. et.
al. (2011) reported on the fabrication of planar arrays of magnetically actuatable rubber tails;
which were then integrated into microchannels in water and a rotating permanent magnet used to
roll them back and forth [1]. In their work, Belardi J. et. al., mentioned the use of silicon as the
substrate into which the microchannels were fabricated using wet etching, and PDMAA was
used as the monomer. The polymer microstructures however have the issue of asymmetric
bending (bending is only possible in one direction and not back and forth); this sometimes can
turn into complete rollup which would effectively refrain the cilia-like feature from further
movements. In addition the focus here has been on the actuation of microstructures rather than
the surface itself.
Another work by Fahrni F. et. al. (2009) demonstrated fluid manipulations using magnetic
polymeric artificial cilia. In addition rotational and translational fluid movements were realized
in an aqueous solution in a microfluidic chamber [2]. This work also has had the asymmetric
problem with fabrication of cilia-like features that limits the possible directions of movement.
Another issue with the type of actuation here potentially appears in microfluidic mixing and
propulsion applications where the necessary asymmetric back-and-forth motion of cilia is not
generally feasible but depends on specific initial conditions. Fahrni F. et. al. (2009) was also
focused, instead of surface actuation, on the movements of cilia features as individually or as a
group.
On another note, Vilfan M. et. al. (2010), report on realization of a pumping system mimicking a
ciliated surface and its motion. Magnetic field was used to actuate the cilia in a simple
nonreciprocal manner, resulting in a fluid flow. Numerical simulation was performed and proved
in agreement with the experimentally obtained data [3]. However the use of optical tweezers or
the micron sized trenches for the micro-assembly of paramagnetic particles leading to columnar
and rod-like features with similar heights makes the fabrication process cumbersome and lengthy
or might result in unwanted twists and turns among cilia structures resulting from uncontrollable
direction of external magnetic field. This would specifically be an issue in batch fabrication.
Fluid transport produced by magnetically actuated arrays of biomimetic cilia was proposed by
Shields A. R. et. al. (2010) and Evans B. A. et .al. (2007), where they utilized advection and
diffusion competing to determine mass transport [4] [4a]. However a fundamental problem with
this work is the collapse of rods onto each other and possibly the sticking of two or more of
them; this creates agglomerates the micro- and nano-structures so that their actuation by external
magnetic field would practically be impossible.