Home > Press > Scientists create rechargeable swimming microrobots using oil and water
![]() |
Droplets with tail-like filaments. Credit: Emily Lin. |
Abstract:
By combining oil drops with water containing a detergent-like substance, the scientists found they could produce artificial swimmers that are able to swim independently and even harvest energy to recharge.
The oil droplets use fluctuating temperature changes in their surrounding environment to store energy and to swim. When cooled, the droplets release thin 'tail-like' threads into the environment. The friction generated between the tails and surrounding fluid, pushes the droplet causing them to move. On heating, the droplets then retract their tails returning to their original state, and harness the heat from their environment to recharge.
The researchers show that the droplets recharge multiple times and are able to swim for periods of up to 12 minutes at a time.
Dr Stoyan Smoukov, Reader in Chemical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London and author of the study, said: "In biology, research shows that to create even the simplest artificial cells we need over 470 genes. However, through this international collaboration, we show that just by using a few simple and inexpensive components we can create a new type of active matter that can change shape and move just like a living thing."
"We hope that this study will open up the opportunity for people to engage in cutting-edge science. As the only equipment needed is a simple optical microscope, people could create these microswimmers with the most basic laboratory set-ups, or even at home. With thousands of swimmers per drop of water, it's a world in a drop situation. And when it costs 7p per teaspoon, there's plenty for everyone."
Other types of artificial swimmers exist however their movements are either driven by chemical reactions, which create bubbles that propel the swimmers through fluids, or by physical forces such as magnetic or electric fields. Instead, this new class of swimmers, which are around the size of a red blood cell, are able to spontaneously assemble and move without using external forces.
As the swimmers are not harmful to other living things, the scientists hope they could be used to study the basic interactions between living organisms such as bacteria and algae.
"In nature we often see large numbers of organisms such as bacteria, grouping together but our understanding of how these organisms interact with each other is incomplete. By mixing our simple artificial swimmers with groups of living organisms we could develop a clearer picture of how biological microswimmers communicate with each other. For example, do they only communicate due to the physical act of 'bumping' into each other, or are there other chemicals or signals released into the environment essential for their interaction."
###
The international research team also included scientists from Sofia University, Bulgaria, the University of Warsaw, Poland and the University of Cambridge.
####
About Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London is a research-intensive university that connects minds worldwide. A member of the prestigious Russell Group, we work across the humanities and social sciences, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering, with inspirational teaching directly informed by our world-leading research. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework we were ranked 5th in the country for the proportion of research outputs that were world-leading or internationally excellent. We have over 25,000 students and offer more than 240 degree programmes. Our reputation for excellent teaching was rewarded with silver in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework. Queen Mary has a proud and distinctive history built on four historic institutions stretching back to 1785 and beyond. Common to each of these institutions - the London Hospital Medical College, St Bartholomew's Medical College, Westfield College and Queen Mary College - was the vision to provide hope and opportunity for the less privileged or otherwise under-represented. Today, Queen Mary University of London remains true to that belief in opening the doors of opportunity for anyone with the potential to succeed and helping to build a future we can all be proud of.
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Sophie McLachlan
020-788-23787
@QMUL
Copyright © Queen Mary University of London
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related Links |
Related News Press |
News and information
Generating power where seawater and river water meet July 22nd, 2022
First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022
Videos/Movies
Scientists prepare for the world’s smallest race: Nanocar Race II March 18th, 2022
Visualizing the invisible: New fluorescent DNA label reveals nanoscopic cancer features March 4th, 2022
OCSiAl receives the green light for Luxembourg graphene nanotube facility project to power the next generation of electric vehicles in Europe March 4th, 2022
Nanotube fibers stand strong -- but for how long? Rice scientists calculate how carbon nanotubes and their fibers experience fatigue December 24th, 2021
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
UNC Charlotte-led team invents new anticoagulant platform, offering hope for advances for heart surgery, dialysis, other procedures July 15th, 2022
Strain-sensing smart skin ready to deploy: Nanotube-embedded coating detects threats from wear and tear in large structures July 15th, 2022
Crystal phase engineering offers glimpse of future potential, researchers say July 15th, 2022
Possible Futures
Generating power where seawater and river water meet July 22nd, 2022
First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022
Discoveries
HKU physicists found signatures of highly entangled quantum matter July 22nd, 2022
Buckyballs on gold are less exotic than graphene July 22nd, 2022
Announcements
Quantum computer works with more than zero and one: Quantum digits unlock more computational power with fewer quantum particles July 22nd, 2022
Generating power where seawater and river water meet July 22nd, 2022
First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Buckyballs on gold are less exotic than graphene July 22nd, 2022
Quantum computer works with more than zero and one: Quantum digits unlock more computational power with fewer quantum particles July 22nd, 2022
Generating power where seawater and river water meet July 22nd, 2022
Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
UNC Charlotte-led team invents new anticoagulant platform, offering hope for advances for heart surgery, dialysis, other procedures July 15th, 2022
Photoinduced large polaron transport and dynamics in organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite with terahertz probes July 8th, 2022
Luisier wins SNSF Advanced Grant to develop simulation tools for nanoscale devices July 8th, 2022
Solving the solar energy storage problem with rechargeable batteries that can convert and store energy at once June 24th, 2022
Nanobiotechnology
First electric nanomotor made from DNA material: Synthetic rotary motors at the nanoscale perform mechanical work July 22nd, 2022
Study reveals new mode of triggering immune responses July 15th, 2022
Research partnerships
Crystal phase engineering offers glimpse of future potential, researchers say July 15th, 2022
New technology helps reveal inner workings of human genome June 24th, 2022
Boron nitride nanotube fibers get real: Rice lab creates first heat-tolerant, stable fibers from wet-spinning process June 24th, 2022
![]() |
||
![]() |
||
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
![]() |
![]() |
||
Premium Products | ||
![]() |
||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
![]() |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
![]() |