Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 46: Micro- and Nanofluidics II

CPP 46.9: Talk

Friday, March 18, 2011, 12:45–13:00, ZEU 222

Energetics of diffusiophoretic motion — •Benedikt Sabass and Udo Seifert — II Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart, Germany

Small particles, in a viscous medium, propelled through an asymmetric distribution of solutes around them, can be employed for active transport or even as micromotors. For neutral solutes, this motion is termed diffusiophoresis. The asymmetry of solute concentration can be either produced by a chemical reaction on the particle surface (self-propelled swimmer) or it can be externally imposed. Here we discuss energetic aspects of diffusiophoresis [1]. We calculate the efficiency of a self-propelled swimmer in a true steady state for different reaction kinetics. The role of the hydrodynamic efficiency as upper bound to the overall efficiency is stressed. Further, we investigate the energy balance of quasi-stationary descriptions of diffusiophoresis in an externally imposed solute gradient, where the solute convection must be taken into account.

[1] B. Sabass and U. Seifert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 218103 (2010)