Miniature pump: Polymer gel continuously responds to fleeting stimuli
Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 11:00
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) —Miniaturization is constantly on the march. For example, we now have entire analytical and diagnostic systems that can take place on a chip. These systems require miniaturized versions of macroscopic components and devices. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, American researchers have now introduced a microscopic pump. It is based on polymer gel microparticles and starts up when irradiated with UV light. The extraordinary thing about this device is that the material continues to pump when the stimulus is removed.