The rapid response movement caused by the Marangoni effect, a surface tension gradient-induced mass transfer behavior, has spurred considerable promise for diverse applications from microrobots and microreactors to smart drug delivery. Herein, we fabricated an aligned hollow fiber swimmer that showed self-propel movement on a water surface based on the Marangoni effect. By rational designing of an aligned hollow microstructure and an optimized geometrical shape, this swimmer can move continuously for more than 600 s and the maximum angular velocity can reach 22 rad·s-1. The movement process of the swimmer is clearly monitored by infrared imaging and the process fluid migration. Moreover, this swimmer exhibited a highly controllable motion mode induced by a magnetic field and a concentration gradient. We designed a novel continuous motion system under the heat conversion from solar energy illumination into mechanical energy. This swimmer shows potential application prospects in controlled cargo transportation and convenient energy conversion systems.
Keywords: Marangoni effect; electrospinning; hollow fiber; surface tension; swimmer.