Lithography: Hybrid Helical Magnetic Microrobots Obtained by 3D Template-Assisted Electrodeposition (Small 7/2014)

Hybrid artificial flagella (h-ABF) consisting of a ferromagnetic alloy head and a helical polymer tail can be fabricated by sequential electrodeposition of a cobalt-nickel alloy and polypyrrole inside a photoresist template patterned by 3D laser lithography. As M. A. Zeeshan, S. Pané, and co-workers report on page 1284, the h-ABFs are physically stable in an aqueous environment with a rigid connection between the metallic and the polymer segments. Controlled actuation of the microrobots by a rotating magnetic field is demonstrated in a fluidic environment with a focus on swarm control.