Improving the engine power of a catalytic Janus-sphere micromotor by roughening its surface

15 December 2017, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

Microspheres with catalytic caps have become a popular model system for studying self- propelled colloids. Existing experimental studies involve predominantly “smooth” particle surfaces. In this study we determine the effect of irregular surface deformations on the propulsive mechanism with a particular focus on speed. The particle surfaces were deformed prior to depositing a catalytic layer which resulted in the formation of nanoscopic pillars of catalyst. These features were shown to boost speed (~2×) when the underlying surface deformations are small (nanoscale), whilst large deformations afforded little difference despite a substantial apparent catalytic surface area. Colloids with deformed surfaces were more likely to display a mixture of rotational and translational propulsion than their “smooth” counterparts.

Keywords

self-propulsion
Janus particles
microswimmers
active matter
Active Colloids
polymer colloids
Chemistry
Engineering

Supplementary materials

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