  In this letter, we characterize experimentally the diffusiophoretic motion of
colloids and lambda- DNA toward higher concentration of solutes, using
microfluidic technology to build spatially- and temporally-controlled
concentration gradients. We then demonstrate that segregation and spatial
patterning of the particles can be achieved from temporal variations of the
solute concentration profile. This segregation takes the form of a strong
trapping potential, stemming from an osmotically induced rectification
mechanism of the solute time-dependent variations. Depending on the spatial and
temporal symmetry of the solute signal, localization patterns with various
shapes can be achieved. These results highlight the role of solute contrasts in
out-of-equilibrium processes occuring in soft matter.

Soft Condensed Matter;Chemical Physics