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Kreissl P, Holm C, de Graaf J. The efficiency of self-phoretic propulsion mechanisms with surface reaction heterogeneity. J Chem Phys. 2016;144(20):204902doi: 10.1063/1.4951699.
Kreissl, P., Holm, C., & de Graaf, J. (2016). The efficiency of self-phoretic propulsion mechanisms with surface reaction heterogeneity. The Journal of chemical physics, 144(20), 204902. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4951699
Kreissl, Patrick, et al. "The efficiency of self-phoretic propulsion mechanisms with surface reaction heterogeneity." The Journal of chemical physics vol. 144,20 (2016): 204902. doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4951699
Kreissl P, Holm C, de Graaf J. The efficiency of self-phoretic propulsion mechanisms with surface reaction heterogeneity. J Chem Phys. 2016 May 28;144(20):204902. doi: 10.1063/1.4951699. PMID: 27250326.
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J Chem Phys. 2016 May 28;144(20):204902. doi: 10.1063/1.4951699.

The efficiency of self-phoretic propulsion mechanisms with surface reaction heterogeneity.

The Journal of chemical physics

Patrick Kreissl, Christian Holm, Joost de Graaf

Affiliations

  1. Institute for Computational Physics (ICP), University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 3, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.

PMID: 27250326 DOI: 10.1063/1.4951699

Abstract

We consider the efficiency of self-phoretic colloidal particles (swimmers) as a function of the heterogeneity in the surface reaction rate. The set of fluid, species, and electrostatic continuity equations is solved analytically using a linearization and numerically using a finite-element method. To compare spherical swimmers of different size and with heterogeneous catalytic conversion rates, a "swimmer efficiency" functional η is introduced. It is proven that in order to obtain maximum swimmer efficiency, the reactivity has to be localized at the pole(s). Our results also shed light on the sensitivity of the propulsion speed to details of the surface reactivity, a property that is notoriously hard to measure. This insight can be utilized in the design of new self-phoretic swimmers.

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