Immobilized clusters of a-MCs create large-scale collective solutal flows that can release, transport, and dock passive “cargo” MC between sender and receiver patches.
By guiding multiple enzyme-loaded clusters, we even achieved controlled chemical signaling between them.

Mixing active (urease-containing) and passive (no-enzyme) MCs produces an orthogonal assembly. a-MCs set up a dynamic 2D lattice, while passive ones migrate to the fluidic traps between them.

By tuning the urea input, the system shows reversible transitions between assembled and disassembled states. This captures the essence of dissipative self-assembly.

Urease-loaded microgel compartments (a-MCs) at a water–oil interface generate two opposing forces — outward solutal flows and inward capillary attraction.
The balance between solutal repulsion (FS) and capillary attraction (FC) determine organization pattern.

Effect of initial density of microgel and density gap between the stratified layers on the behavior of chemomechanical oscillations was investigated.
A critical amount of kinetic asymmetry between swelling and deswelling was found to be necessary for prolonged oscillations.

Percoll based 3 layered discontinuous density gradient media provides different stimuli in the layers.
Different concentrations of calcium and citrate in the top and bottom layers allowed programming of prolonged and damped chemomechanical oscillatory trajectories of microgels.

Calcium alginate microgels coated with chitosan swell in the presence of citrate and deswell in Ca2+. Actuation of microgel volume is transduced into buoyant motility via immersing in Percoll. Chitosan membrane excludes Percoll particles allowing control of the microgel buoyancy.

Here, we illustrate a simple design for achieving prolonged and damped chemomechanical oscillations using a stimuli-responsive membrane-bound microgel within stratified environment containing partitioned swelling and deswelling stimuli.

Calcium alginate microgels coated with chitosan swell in the presence of citrate and deswell in Ca2+. Actuation of microgel volume is transduced into buoyant motility via immersing in Percoll. Chitosan membrane excludes Percoll particles allowing control of the microgel buoyancy.

Here, we illustrate a simple design for achieving prolonged and damped chemomechanical oscillations using a stimuli-responsive membrane-bound microgel within stratified environment containing partitioned swelling and deswelling stimuli.