%0 Book Section %1 statphys23_0031 %A Golestanian, R. %A Liverpool, T.B. %A Ajdari, A. %B Abstract Book of the XXIII IUPAP International Conference on Statistical Physics %C Genova, Italy %D 2007 %E Pietronero, Luciano %E Loreto, Vittorio %E Zapperi, Stefano %K effects locomotion molecular phoretic statphys23 topic-10 %T Designing swimmers powered by chemical reactions %U http://st23.statphys23.org/webservices/abstract/preview_pop.php?ID_PAPER=31 %X A simple model for the reaction-driven propulsion of a small device is proposed as a model for a molecular swimmer in aqueous media. Motion of the device is driven by an asymmetric distribution of reaction products. The propulsion velocity of the device is calculated as well as the scale of the velocity fluctuations. The effects of hydrodynamic flow as well as a number of different scenarios for the kinetics of the reaction are addressed. We also quantify for arbitrary swimmer shapes and surface patterns, how efficient swimming requires both surface activity to generate the fields, and surface phoretic mobility. We show in particular that (i) swimming requires symmetry breaking in either or both of the patterns of activity and mobility, (ii) for a given geometrical shape and surface pattern, the swimming velocity is size-independent. In addition, for given available surface properties, our calculation framework provides a guide to optimize the design of the swimmers.

@incollection{statphys23_0031, abstract = {A simple model for the reaction-driven propulsion of a small device is proposed as a model for a molecular swimmer in aqueous media. Motion of the device is driven by an asymmetric distribution of reaction products. The propulsion velocity of the device is calculated as well as the scale of the velocity fluctuations. The effects of hydrodynamic flow as well as a number of different scenarios for the kinetics of the reaction are addressed. We also quantify for arbitrary swimmer shapes and surface patterns, how efficient swimming requires both surface activity to generate the fields, and surface phoretic mobility. We show in particular that (i) swimming requires symmetry breaking in either or both of the patterns of activity and mobility, (ii) for a given geometrical shape and surface pattern, the swimming velocity is size-independent. In addition, for given available surface properties, our calculation framework provides a guide to optimize the design of the swimmers.}, added-at = {2007-06-20T10:16:09.000+0200}, address = {Genova, Italy}, author = {Golestanian, R. and Liverpool, T.B. and Ajdari, A.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/22cbd4c6f3e126b79cd2995decabbe8ab/statphys23}, booktitle = {Abstract Book of the XXIII IUPAP International Conference on Statistical Physics}, editor = {Pietronero, Luciano and Loreto, Vittorio and Zapperi, Stefano}, interhash = {6293c7fa44da859812e40bb8b8249f6f}, intrahash = {2cbd4c6f3e126b79cd2995decabbe8ab}, keywords = {effects locomotion molecular phoretic statphys23 topic-10}, month = {9-13 July}, timestamp = {2007-06-20T10:16:10.000+0200}, title = {Designing swimmers powered by chemical reactions}, url = {http://st23.statphys23.org/webservices/abstract/preview_pop.php?ID_PAPER=31}, year = 2007 }