Effect of a product on spontaneous droplet motion driven by a chemical reaction of surfactant.

Abstract

We focus on the self-propelled motion of an oil droplet within an aqueous phase or an aqueous droplet within an oil phase, which originates from an interfacial chemical reaction of surfactant. The droplet motion has been explained by mathematical models, which require the assumption that the chemical reaction increases the interfacial tension. However, several experimental reports have demonstrated self-propelled motion with the chemical reaction decreasing the interfacial tension. Our motivation is to construct an improved mathematical model, which explains these experimental observations. In this process, we consider the concentrations of the reactant and product on the interface and of the reactant in the bulk. Our numerical calculations indicate that the droplet potentially moves in the cases of both an increase and a decrease in the interfacial tension. In addition, the reaction rate and size dependencies of the droplet speed observed in experiments were well reproduced using our model. These results indicate the potential of our model as a universal one for droplet motion.