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Light‐Activated Active Colloid Ribbons
Author(s) -
Lin Zhihua,
Si Tieyan,
Wu Zhiguang,
Gao Changyong,
Lin Xiankun,
He Qiang
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201708155
Subject(s) - colloid , materials science , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , engineering
Abstract We report a dynamic self‐organization of self‐propelled peanut‐shaped hematite motors from non‐equilibrium driving forces where the propulsion can be triggered by blue light. They result in one‐dimensional, active colloid ribbons with a positive phototactic characteristic. The motion of colloid motors is ascribed to the diffusion‐osmotic flow in a chemical gradient by the photocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide fuel. We show that self‐propelled peanut‐shaped colloids readily form one‐dimensional, slithering ribbon structures under the out‐of‐equilibrium collisions. This self‐organization intrinsically results from the competition among the osmotically driven motion, the phoretic attraction and the inherent magnetic moments. The giant size number fluctuation in colloid ribbons is observed above a critical point 4.1 % of the surface density of colloid motors. Such phototactic colloid ribbons may provide a model system to understand the emergence of function in biological systems and have potential to construct bioinspired active materials based on different active building blocks.