Hydrophobic catalytic Janus motors: Slip boundary condition and enhanced catalytic reaction rate

A hydrophobic front surface in Janus catalytic motors could introduce two effects to the motion kinetics: a partially slippery surface and a change in catalytic reaction rate. Experimentally, the hydrophobic Janus motors have been observed to move appreciably faster than the hydrophilic ones for large size motors with high fuel concentrations. Numerical investigation and experimental data reveal that the slippery surface has an insignificant effect on motor kinetics compared to an enhanced catalytic reaction rate, which could result from the water depletion layer around the hydrophobic surface and the strong hydrophobic interaction between the generated O-2 and the hydrophobic surface. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.