title: Electric field-induced chemical locomotion of conducting objects.
abstract: Externally triggered motion of small objects has potential in applications ranging from micromachines, to drug delivery, and self-assembly of superstructures. Here we present a new concept for the controlled propulsion of conducting objects with sizes ranging from centimetres to hundreds of micrometres. It is based on their polarization, induced by an electric field, which triggers spatially separated oxidation and reduction reactions involving asymmetric gas bubble formation. This in turn leads to a directional motion of the objects. Depending on the implied redox chemistry and the device design, the speed can be controlled and the motion can be switched from linear to rotational. This type of chemical locomotion is an alternative to existing approaches based on other principles.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loget
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhn
references.citation: Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2011 Apr 26;50(18):4161-4
references.pmid: 21472835
references.citation: J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Nov 17;132(45):15918-9
references.pmid: 20964295
references.citation: Nat Commun. 2010 Jul 13;1:36
references.pmid: 20975708
references.citation: Nat Nanotechnol. 2007 Sep;2(9):565-9
references.pmid: 18654369
references.citation: Anal Chem. 2010 Nov 1;82(21):8766-74
references.pmid: 20815405
references.citation: Nature. 2004 Jun 17;429(6993):739-43
references.pmid: 15201905
references.citation: Sci Am. 2009 May;300(5):72-7
references.pmid: 19438052
references.citation: Nature. 2006 Mar 9;440(7081):163
references.pmid: 16525460
references.citation: Science. 2003 Jul 18;301(5631):344-7
references.pmid: 12829788
references.citation: Small. 2010 Feb 5;6(3):338-45
references.pmid: 20013944
references.citation: Langmuir. 2006 Dec 5;22(25):10451-6
references.pmid: 17129015
references.citation: Nature. 2005 Oct 6;437(7060):862-5
references.pmid: 16208366
references.citation: Nano Lett. 2009 Jun;9(6):2243-5
references.pmid: 19413293
references.citation: Nano Lett. 2008 Feb;8(2):500-4
references.pmid: 18189438
references.citation: Chem Commun (Camb). 2010 Aug 21;46(31):5704-6
references.pmid: 20589286
references.citation: Nat Mater. 2007 Mar;6(3):235-40
references.pmid: 17293850
references.citation: ACS Nano. 2010 Apr 27;4(4):1782-9
references.pmid: 20420469
references.citation: Small. 2010 Dec 6;6(23):2741-7
references.pmid: 20979242
references.citation: Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2006 Aug 18;45(33):5420-9
references.pmid: 16807962
references.citation: Chem Commun (Camb). 2010 Mar 14;46(10):1623-4
references.pmid: 20177595
references.citation: J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Feb 2;133(4):701-3
references.pmid: 21166412
references.citation: Science. 2007 Jul 20;317(5836):333-6
references.pmid: 17641191
references.citation: Anal Bioanal Chem. 2010 Jan;396(1):401-20
references.pmid: 19578834
references.citation: Anal Bioanal Chem. 2011 Jun;400(6):1691-704
references.pmid: 21455656
references.citation: Science. 1966 Apr 29;152(3722):647-9
references.pmid: 17779503
references.citation: Chem Soc Rev. 2011 Jul;40(7):3656-76
references.pmid: 21416072
references.citation: Langmuir. 2010 Aug 17;26(16):13052-5
references.pmid: 20695541
references.citation: ACS Nano. 2010 Apr 27;4(4):1799-804
references.pmid: 20230041