Photocatalytic Janus Microswimmers as Micro-stirrers?
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There is a growing interest in employing synthetic microswimmers as “micro-stirrers” capable of mixing fluids without external agitation. Nevertheless, this mixing effect remain relatively unstudied to date. Here, we investigate the effect of Janus microswimmer motion on the dynamics of passive tracer particles. We find that for our system, enhancements in tracer diffusivity predominantly occur via collisions with the Janus microswimmers, similar to previous findings for living systems. In doing so, we identity several potential limitations to the “micro-stirrer” concept, as well as potential avenues to improve the overall mixing performance of synthetic active matter systems.