Reversing a Platinum Micromotor by Introducing Platinum Oxide

Abstract

Understanding and controlling the swimming direction of a synthetic nano- and micromotor holds fundamental and applied significance. Here, we focus on platinum-containing Janus colloids that catalytically decompose H₂ O₂ into O₂ , an archetypical model of chemical micromotor. We discover that platinum oxides (primarily PtO) are produced on Pt films sputter-coated in O₂ plasma, and PtO reverses the motor possibly by self-electrophoresis. Using this knowledge, micromotors moving in either direction were fabricated by intentionally introducing or removing PtO. These findings challenge the conventional wisdom that a Pt micromotor is powered by Pt alone, and open up new avenues for controlling the swimming directions of a micro- and nanomachine.