Locomotion of Electrocatalytic Nanomotors due to Reaction Induced Charge Auto-Electrophoresis

TL;DR

This paper investigates how bimetallic nanomotors move autonomously in hydrogen peroxide solutions, driven by electrochemical reactions that induce electrical body forces causing fluid slip and propulsion.

Contribution

It provides a combined scaling analysis, computational simulations, and experimental data to elucidate the mechanism of nanomotor locomotion via reaction-induced charge auto-electrophoresis.

Findings

Nanomotor speed depends on surface potential and reaction flux.

Fluid slip caused by electrical body forces drives nanomotor motion.

Experimental results confirm the electrokinetic propulsion mechanism.

Abstract

Bimetallic rod-shaped nanomotors swim autonomously in hydrogen peroxide solutions. Here we present a scaling analysis, computational simulations, and experimental data that show that the nanomotor locomotion is driven by fluid slip around the nanomotor surface due to electrical body forces. The body forces are generated by a coupling of charge density and electric fields induced by electrochemical reactions occurring on the nanomotor surface. We describe the dependence of nanomotor motion on the nanomotor surface potential and reaction-driven flux.