Communication

A Polymerization-Powered Motor†

  1. Ryan A. Pavlick,
  2. Samudra Sengupta,
  3. Timothy McFadden,
  4. Hua Zhang,
  5. Prof. Ayusman Sen*

Article first published online: 30 AUG 2011

DOI: 10.1002/anie.201103565

Issue

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Volume 50, Issue 40, pages 9374–9377, September 26, 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Pavlick, R. A., Sengupta, S., McFadden, T., Zhang, H. and Sen, A. (2011), A Polymerization-Powered Motor. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50: 9374–9377. doi: 10.1002/anie.201103565

Author Information

  1. Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (USA) http://research.chem.psu.edu/axsgroup/

*Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (USA) http://research.chem.psu.edu/axsgroup/

  1. †

    This research was supported by Penn State MRSEC (NSF-DMR-0820404) and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-10-1-0509).

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 SEP 2011
  2. Article first published online: 30 AUG 2011
  3. Manuscript Received: 24 MAY 2011

Funded by

  • MRSEC. Grant Number: NSF-DMR-0820404
  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Grant Number: FA9550-10-1-0509

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Keywords:

  • catalysis;
  • chemotaxis;
  • micromotors;
  • osmophoresis;
  • polymers
Thumbnail image of graphical abstract

Polymer powered! A polymerization reaction has been used to power the first micromotor outside biological systems. The motor employs a form of Grubbs' catalyst asymmetrically bound to gold–silica Janus microspheres (see picture). These motors show increased diffusion of up to 70 % when placed in solutions of the monomer. The motors also exhibit chemotaxis when placed in a monomer gradient.

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