Osmosis is a universal phenomenon occurring in a broad variety of processes and fields. It
is the archetype of entropic forces, both trivial in its fundamental expression–the van't Hoff …

Emulsions are suspensions of droplets ubiquitous in oil recovery from underground
reservoirs. Oil is typically trapped in geological porous media where emulsions are either …

A popular principle in designing chemical micromachines is to take advantage of
asymmetric chemical reactions such as the catalytic decomposition of H2O2. Contrary to …

Self-assembly is the autonomous organization of components into patterns or structures: an
essential ingredient of biology and a desired route to complex organization. At equilibrium …

Unlike in thermodynamic equilibrium where coexisting phases always have the same
temperature, here we show that systems comprising “active” self-propelled particles can self …

Abstract Machines enabled the Industrial Revolution and are central to modern
technological progress: A machine's parts transmit forces, motion, and energy to one …

The recent invention of nanoswimmers—synthetic, powered objects with characteristic
lengths in the range of 10–500 nm—has sparked widespread interest among scientists and …

Salt crystallization is accepted to represent one of the major causes for the degradation of
building and ornamental stone. As such, it has attracted the attention of researchers, who …

The research progress in colloidal motors, synthetic colloids that convert environmental
energy and swim in water, has attracted much attention in recent years. Yet, its rapid …

Synthetic active colloids that harvest energy stored in the environment and swim
autonomously are a popular model system for active matter. This emerging field of research …