Autonomous movement and self-assembly

Abstract

The artificial millimeter-scale "autonomous movers" glide across the surface of a liquid without an external power source. This system is based on a combination of two processes: Motion of individual objects powered by the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, and relative motion (self-assembly) caused by capillary interactions at the fluid/air interface. The picture shows the rotational/translational motion of a single object; the motion of a pair of these object depends on their chirality.