Dynamics of self-propelled nanomotors in chemically active media

Synthetic chemically powered nanomotors often rely on the environment for their fuel supply. The propulsion properties of such motors can be altered if the environment in which they move is chemically active. The dynamical properties of sphere dimer motors, composed of linked catalytic and noncatalytic monomers, are investigated in active media. Chemical reactions occur at the catalytic monomer and the reactant or product of this reaction is involved in cubic autocatalytic or linear reactions that take place in the bulk phase environment. For these reactions, as the bulk phase reaction rates increase, the motor propulsion velocity decreases. For the cubic autocatalytic reaction, this net effect arises from a competition between a reduction of the nonequilibrium concentration gradient that leads to smaller velocity and the generation of fuel in the environment that tends to increase the motor propulsion. The role played by detailed balance in determining the form of the concentration gradient in the motor vicinity in the active medium is studied. Simulations are carried out using reactive multiparticle collision dynamics and compared with theoretical models to obtain further insight into sphere dimer dynamics in active media. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3607408]