Self-propulsion of a metallic superoleophobic micro-boat

Albina Musin; Roman Grynyov; Mark Frenkel; Edward Bormashenko

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2016.06.066

Self-propulsion of a metallic superoleophobic micro-boat

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2016 Oct 1:479:182-188. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2016.06.066. Epub 2016 Jun 29.

Authors

Albina Musin¹, Roman Grynyov¹, Mark Frenkel², Edward Bormashenko³

Affiliations

¹ Ariel University, Natural Science Faculty, Physics Department, P.O.B. 3, 407000 Ariel, Israel.
² Ariel University, Natural Science Faculty, Physics Department, P.O.B. 3, 407000 Ariel, Israel; Ariel University, Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, P.O.B. 3, 40700 Ariel, Israel.
³ Ariel University, Natural Science Faculty, Physics Department, P.O.B. 3, 407000 Ariel, Israel; Ariel University, Engineering Faculty, Chemical Engineering Department, P.O.B. 3, 40700 Ariel, Israel. Electronic address: edward@ariel.ac.il.

PMID: 27388132
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2016.06.066

Abstract

The self-propulsion of a heavy, superoleophobic, metallic micro-boat carrying a droplet of various aqueous alcohol solutions as a fuel tank is reported. The micro-boat is driven by the solutocapillary Marangoni flow. The jump in the surface tension owing to the condensation of alcohols on the water surface was established experimentally. Maximal velocities of the self-propulsion were registered as high as 0.05m/s. The maximal velocity of the center mass of the boat correlates with the maximal change in the surface tension, due to the condensation of alcohols. The mechanism of the self-locomotion is discussed. The phenomenological dynamic model describing the self-propulsion is reported.

Keywords: Marangoni flow; Self-propulsion; Superoleophobic boat; Surface tension.