journal article·2025-10Open access

Flow‐Active Liquid Marbles as Microreactors for Photocatalytic Micromotors

Anthony Jesús Martínez, Majid Basharat, Shuqin Chen, Samuel Sánchez, Katherine Villa

Small· Volume 21· Issue 43

Abstract

Abstract Self‐propelled micromotors have shown promise for applications in environmental remediation, sensing, and biomedicine. However, assessing their performance in realistic, 3D microenvironments with dynamic boundaries and complex topography remains a key challenge. Achieving controlled motion and enhanced reactivity under such confinement is critical for both technological applications and fundamental studies on active matter. Here, the integration of light‐driven micromotors with liquid marbles is presented, which are gas‐permeable droplets encased by hydrophobic particles that act as dynamic, flow‐active microreactors. By tuning the coverage of the particulate shell, partially covered liquid marbles are developed that exhibit robust evaporation‐induced flows, increasing the average micromotor velocity by approximately threefold compared to sessile droplets. Under illumination, photocatalytic self‐propulsion provides an additional velocity component and promotes micromotor dispersion. The combined circulation enhances mass transfer, guiding micromotor accumulation and transport while providing an optical transparent, soft‐confinement platform for studying active particles and confined catalytic reactions.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Micro and Nano Robotics · Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics · Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ‐CERCA) The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) Av. Països Catalans, 16 Tarragona E‐43007 Spain

Departament de Química Física i Inorgànica Universitat Rovira i Virgili Marcel.lí Domingo 1 Tarragona 43007 Spain

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST) Baldiri i Reixac 10–12 Barcelona 08028 Spain

Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) Psg. Lluis Companys 23 Barcelona 08010 Spain

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