Active Matter and Chemical Motors

We are interested in out-of-equilibrium ‘active matter’ and study locomotion, dynamic assembly and self-organization with chemically active colloids, which are also known as chemical motors. These self-propelling colloids also show collective effects similar to those observed in living systems. 

Chemical motors show rich behaviours and have been proposed as a potential route to achieve chemotactic therapeutics. A fundamental question is whether the concepts that are observed at the colloidal scale translate to the nanoscale.

We have built some of the smallest self-propelling Janus particles and we employ precision diffusion measurements (FCS, DLS, NMR) to critically examine if and how these systems can self-propel at the smallest of scales. The question how enzymatic reaction influences the fluid motion has potentially important implications for biochemistry.