A self-propelled thermophoretic microgear

Abstract

An asymmetric microgear will spontaneously and unidirectionally rotate if it is heated in a cool surrounding solvent. The resulting temperature gradient along the edges of the gear teeth translates in a directed thermophoretic force, which will exert a net torque on the gear. By means of computer simulations, the validity of this scenario is proved. The rotational direction and speed are dependent on gear-solvent interactions, and can be analytically related to system parameters like the thermal diffusion factor, the solvent viscosity, or the temperature difference. This microgear provides a simple way to extract net work from non-isothermal solutions, and can become a valuable tool in microfluids. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.