Pumping and Mixing in Active Pores

Data for PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 129, 188003 (2022)   Abstract: We show both numerically and analytically that a chemically patterned active pore can act as a micro- ornanopump for fluids, even if it is fore-aft symmetric. This is possible due to a spontaneous symmetrybreaking which occurs when advection rather than diffusion is the dominant mechanism of solute transport.We further demonstrate that, for pumping and tuning the flow rate, a combination of geometrical andchemical inhomogeneities is required. For certain parameter values, the flow is unsteady, and persistentoscillations with a tunable frequency appear. Finally, we find that the flow exhibits convection rolls andhence promotes mixing in the low Reynolds number regime.