Noncontact and contact micromanipulation using a rotating nickel nanowire

This paper reports an approach to perform basic noncontact and contact manipulation tasks using rotating nickel nanowires (Ni NWs) driven by a uniform rotating magnetic field. We show that a rotating NW is capable of propulsion near a solid surface by a tumbling motion. The tumbling NW is steered with micrometer positioning precision in 2-D. The FEM simulation shows that fluid flow is induced around the rotating NW, which was applied to manipulate microobjects in a noncontact fashion. Noncontact pushing and pulling tests of individual polystyrene (PS) microbeads are conducted using a tumbling NW. We also show that a rotating Ni NW can act as a microrotor to rotate a microobject on a solid surface. In addition, contact manipulation is demonstrated by transporting individual microobjects, i.e. a PS microbead and a human blood cell, using a rotating NW. The results imply that rotating magnetic NWs are good candidates for handling cellular and sub-cellular objects in an aqueous low Reynolds number environment.