Abstract
Rotary step like transportation of chains of magnetic nanoparticles along arrays of magnetic discs is demonstrated. The strong magnetic attraction between the magnetic discs and the chains prevents the particle chain from slipping and allows a more controllable and programmable chain transportation. Different types of rotary motions of the chains are observed, and the cell transportation via functionalized particle chains is also shown to demonstrate a potential application in bio transportation. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.