Characterizing dynamic behaviors of three-particle paramagnetic microswimmer near a solid surface

Particle-based magnetically actuated microswimmers have the potential to act as microrobotic tools for biomedical applications. In this paper, we report the dynamic behaviors of a three-particle paramagnetic microswimmer. Actuated by a rotating magnetic field with different frequencies, the microswimmer exhibits simple rotation and propulsion. When the input frequency is below 8 Hz, it exhibits simple rotation on the substrate, whereas it shows propulsion with varied poses when subjected to a frequency between 8 and 15 Hz. Furthermore, a solid surface that enhances swimming velocity was observed as the microswimmer is actuated near a solid surface. Our simulation results testify that the surface-enhanced swimming near a solid surface is because of the induced pressure difference in the surrounding fluid of the microagent. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s40638-017-0076-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.