Pulling and pushing a cargo with a catalytically active carrier

Catalytically active particles suspended in a liquid can move due to self-phoresis by generating solute gradients via chemical reactions of the solvent occurring at parts of their surface. Such particles can be used as carriers at the micro-scale. As a simple model for a carrier-cargo system we cons...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Europhysics letters 2011-07, Vol.95 (2), p.28004
Main Authors: Popescu, M. N, Tasinkevych, M, Dietrich, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
07.10.Cm
82.70.Dd
89.20.-a
Carriers
Catalysis
Inert
Liquids
Optimization
Particulate composites
Pushing
Surface chemistry
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Summary:Catalytically active particles suspended in a liquid can move due to self-phoresis by generating solute gradients via chemical reactions of the solvent occurring at parts of their surface. Such particles can be used as carriers at the micro-scale. As a simple model for a carrier-cargo system we consider a catalytically active particle connected by a thin rigid rod to a catalytically inert cargo particle. We show that the velocity of the composite strongly depends on the relative orientation of the carrier-cargo link. Accordingly, there is an optimal configuration for the linkage. The subtlety of such carriers is underscored by the observation that a spherical particle completely covered by catalyst, which is motionless when isolated, acts as a carrier once attached to a cargo.
ISSN:0295-5075
1286-4854
DOI:10.1209/0295-5075/95/28004