Exploiting electrolyte confinement effects for the electrosynthesis of two-engine micromachines. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fernández-Barcia, Mónica; Jang, Bumjin; Alcântara, Carlos C.J.; Wolff, Ulrike; Gebert, Annett; Uhlemann, Margitta; Chen, Xiangzhong; Puigmartí-Luis, Josep; Sort, Jordi; Pellicer, Eva; Pané, Salvador
• Is Part Of: Applied materials today. Volume 19(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Hybrid microrobots -- Confinement effect -- Electrosynthesis -- Manganese oxide -- Template-assisted; Materials science -- Periodicals; Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100629
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-9407

Abstract

Highlights: Exploiting electrolyte confinement effect to fabricate hybrid micromotors. Electrosynthesis of multifunctional compositionally graded microswimmers. Dual motility by means of catalytic decomposition of H2 O2 and magnetic field. Abstract: We exploit electrolyte confinement effects in porous membranes to electrosynthesize a two-engine micromachine from a single electrolyte solution. Taking advantage of the often undesired overplating observed in template-assisted deposition, we can produce micromachines consisting of hollow microstructures with a compositionally graded mushroom-like shape that consist of a manganese oxide-based stipe and an iron oxide-based cap. While the stipe acts as the catalytic motor of the machine, the cap serves as a magnetic steering wheel. Graphical Abstract: Image, graphical abstract