| US 7,516,759 B2 | ||
| Autonomous moving microstructures | ||
| Walter Paxton, Boalsburg, Pa. (US); Ayusman Sen, State College, Pa. (US); Thomas E. Mallouk, State College, Pa. (US); and Jeffrey M. Catchmark, Bellefonte, Pa. (US) | ||
| Assigned to The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, Pa. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 23, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/784,432. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/450194, filed on Feb. 24, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0281682 A1, Dec. 22, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. F15C 1/00 (2006.01); F16H 35/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 137—803 [74/640; 422/50] | 41 Claims |
| 1. A method of providing a relative motion between a microstructure and a fluid medium, the method comprising:
providing a catalyst region within the microstructure;
providing a non-catalyst region within the microstructure, the non-catalyst region having an adjacent non-catalyst portion
that is substantially adjacent to the catalyst region;
providing a fluid medium, the fluid medium having a fluid component that provides a chemical reaction, the chemical reaction
being catalyzed by the catalyst region; and
exposing the microstructure to the fluid medium, so that the catalyst region and the adjacent non-catalyst portion are both
exposed to the fluid medium,
wherein the chemical reaction induces the relative motion between the fluid medium and the microstructure,
the catalyst region including a transition metal, the adjacent non-catalyst portion including a gold surface,
the chemical reaction inducing a flow of the fluid medium from the catalyst region to the adjacent non-catalyst portion.
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