Designed patterns: flexible control of precipitation through electric currents

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Aug 15;101(7):075701. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.075701. Epub 2008 Aug 13.

Abstract

Understanding and controlling precipitation patterns formed in reaction-diffusion processes is of fundamental importance with high potential for technical applications. Here we present a theory showing that precipitation resulting from reactions among charged agents can be controlled by an appropriately designed, time-dependent electric current. Examples of current dynamics yielding periodic bands of prescribed wavelength, as well as more complicated structures are given. The pattern control is demonstrated experimentally using the reaction-diffusion process 2AgNO3 + K2Cr2O7-->under Ag2Cr2O7 + 2KNO3.