Catalytic motors for transport of colloidal cargo.
Autonomous micro- and nanomotors should, in principle, deliver materials in a site-directed fashion, powering the assembly of dynamic, nonequilibrium superstructures. Here we demonstrate that catalytic Pt-Au nanomotors can transport a prototypical cargo: polystyrene microspheres. In addition, motors with Ni segments can overcome both Brownian orientational fluctuations and biased rotation of the rod-sphere doublet to enable persistent steerable uniaxial motion in an external magnetic field. Assuming a cargo-independent motive force, the speeds are inversely proportional to the Stokes resistance, which we compute using a completed double-layer boundary integral equation. In addition, we demonstrate motors transporting cargo via chemotaxis toward a H2O2 fuel source.
Sundararajan
Shakuntala
S
Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Lammert
Paul E
PE
Zudans
Andrew W
AW
Crespi
Vincent H
VH
Sen
Ayusman
A
D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008422:Materials Testing; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009038:Motion; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects
D003102:Colloids; D010984:Platinum; D006046:Gold