Nanowerk January 2, 2019
Catalyst-coated, hard particles can spontaneously generate fluid flows, which, in turn, propel the particles through the fluid. If it were a deformable sheet, then the self-generated flows could affect not only the sheet’s motion but also its shape. Researchers at Pittsburgh University developed models that capture the interrelated chemical, hydrodynamic, and mechanical interactions to uncover novel behavior emerging from the previously unstudied coupling between active, soft sheets and the surrounding fluid. The sheets can be tailored by modifying the sheet’s geometry, patterning the sheet’s surface with different catalysts, and using cascades of chemical reactions. The layers can be used to perform logic operations and execute multistage processes in fluid-filled microchambers…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The unwrapping of a catalse-coated flower-like sheet around a capsule. Black arrows indicate the directionality and magnitude of the flow field in the solution. (Image: Abhrajit Laskar)