High-performance Marangoni hydrogel rotors with asymmetric porosity and drag reduction profile

Hao Wu, Yiyu Chen, Wenlong Xu, Chen Xin, Tao Wu, Wei Feng, Hao Yu, Chao Chen, Shaojun Jiang, Yachao Zhang, Xiaojie Wang, Minghui Duan, Cong Zhang, Shunli Liu, Dawei Wang, Yanlei Hu, Jiawen Li, Erqiang Li, HengAn Wu, Jiaru Chu and Dong Wu ()
Additional contact information
Hao Wu: University of Science and Technology of China
Yiyu Chen: University of Science and Technology of China
Wenlong Xu: University of Science and Technology of China
Chen Xin: University of Science and Technology of China
Tao Wu: University of Science and Technology of China
Wei Feng: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
Hao Yu: University of Science and Technology of China
Chao Chen: University of Science and Technology of China
Shaojun Jiang: University of Science and Technology of China
Yachao Zhang: University of Science and Technology of China
Xiaojie Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Minghui Duan: University of Science and Technology of China
Cong Zhang: University of Science and Technology of China
Shunli Liu: University of Science and Technology of China
Dawei Wang: University of Science and Technology of China
Yanlei Hu: University of Science and Technology of China
Jiawen Li: University of Science and Technology of China
Erqiang Li: University of Science and Technology of China
HengAn Wu: University of Science and Technology of China
Jiaru Chu: University of Science and Technology of China
Dong Wu: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Miniaturized rotors based on Marangoni effect have attracted great attentions due to their promising applications in propulsion and power generation. Despite intensive studies, the development of Marangoni rotors with high rotation output and fuel economy remains challenging. To address this challenge, we introduce an asymmetric porosity strategy to fabricate Marangoni rotor composed of thermoresponsive hydrogel and low surface tension anesthetic metabolite. Combining enhanced Marangoni propulsion of asymmetric porosity with drag reduction of well-designed profile, our rotor precedes previous studies in rotation output (~15 times) and fuel economy (~34% higher). Utilizing thermoresponsive hydrogel, the rotor realizes rapid refueling within 33 s. Moreover, iron-powder dopant further imparts the rotors with individual-specific locomotion in group under magnetic stimuli. Significantly, diverse functionalities including kinetic energy transmission, mini-generator and environmental remediation are demonstrated, which open new perspectives for designing miniaturized rotating machineries and inspire researchers in robotics, energy, and environment.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35186-5

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