@article{FeldmannAryaLomadzeetal.2019,
  author    = {Feldmann, David and Arya, Pooja and Lomadze, Nino and Kopyshev, Alexey and Santer, Svetlana},
  title     = {Light-driven motion of self-propelled porous Janus particles},
  series = {Applied physics letters},
  volume    = {115},
  journal   = {Applied physics letters},
  number    = {26},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {0003-6951},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.5129238},
  pages     = {5},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {We introduce a versatile mechanism of light-driven self-propelled motion applied to porous Janus-type particles. The mechanism is based on the generation of local light-driven diffusio-osmotic (l-LDDO) flow around each single porous particle subjected to suitable irradiation conditions. The photosensitivity is introduced by a cationic azobenzene containing surfactant, which undergoes a photoisomerization reaction from a more hydrophobic trans-state to a rather hydrophilic cis-state under illumination with light. The negatively charged porous silica particles are dispersed in a corresponding aqueous solution and absorb molecules in their trans-state but expel them in their cis-state. During illumination with blue light triggering both trans-cis and cis-trans isomerization at the same time, the colloids start to move due to the generation of a steady-state diffusive flow of cis-isomers out of and trans-isomers into the particle. This is because a hemi-spherical metal cap partially sealing the colloid breaks the symmetry of the otherwise radially directed local flow around the particle, leading to self-propelled motion. Janus particles exhibit superdiffusive motion with a velocity of similar to 0.5 mu m/s and a persistence length of ca. 50 mu m, confined to microchannels the direction can be maintained up to 300 mu m before rotational diffusion reverts it. Particles forming dimers of different shapes can be made to travel along circular trajectories. The unique feature of this mechanism is that the strength of self-propulsion can be tuned by convenient external optical stimuli (intensity and irradiation wavelength) such that a broad variety of experimental situations can be realized in a spatiotemporal way and in situ.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchimkaKlierdeGuerenuetal.2019,
  author    = {Schimka, Selina and Klier, Dennis Tobias and de Guerenu, Anna Lopez and Bastian, Philipp and Lomadze, Nino and Kumke, Michael Uwe and Santer, Svetlana},
  title     = {Photo-isomerization of azobenzene containing surfactants induced by near-infrared light using upconversion nanoparticles as mediator},
  series = {Journal of physics : Condensed matter},
  volume    = {31},
  journal   = {Journal of physics : Condensed matter},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.},
  address   = {Bristol},
  issn      = {0953-8984},
  doi       = {10.1088/1361-648X/aafcfa},
  pages     = {9},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Here we report on photo-isomerization of azobenzene containing surfactants induced during irradiation with near-infrared (NIR) light in the presence of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) acting as mediator. The surfactant molecule consists of charged head group and hydrophobic tail with azobenzene group incorporated in alkyl chain. The azobenzene group can be reversible photo-isomerized between two states: trans- and cis- by irradiation with light of an appropriate wavelength. The trans-cis photo-isomerization is induced by UV light, while cis-trans isomerization proceeds either thermally in darkness, or can be accelerated by exposure to illumination with a longer wavelength typically in a blue/green range. We present the application of lanthanide doped UCNPs to successfully switch azobenzene containing surfactants from cis to trans conformation in bulk solution using NIR light. Using Tm-3(+) or Er-3(+) as activator ions, the UCNPs provide emissions in the spectral range of 450 nm < lambda(em) < 480 nm (for Tm-3(+), three and four photon induced emission) or 525 nm < lambda(em) < 545 nm (for Er-3(+), two photon induced emission), respectively. Especially for UCNPs containing Tm-3(+) a good overlap of the emissions with the absorption bands of the azobenzene is present. Under illumination of the surfactant solution with NIR light (lambda(ex) = 976 nm) in the presence of the Tm-3(+)-doped UCNPs, the relaxation time of cis-trans photo-isomerization was increased by almost 13 times compared to thermally induced isomerization. The influence of thermal heating due to the irradiation using NIR light was shown to be minor for solvents not absorbing in NIR spectral range (e.g. CHCl3) in contrast to water, which shows a distinct absorption in the NIR.},
  language  = {en}
}