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IMAGE: Animation from simulation demonstrating spatio-temporal control of rotors via a cascade reaction. GOx-coated rotor (magenta) lies on the left side of the chamber, while CAT-coated rotor (green) lies on the...
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Credit: A. Laskar
PITTSBURGH (December 18, 2020) ... The gear is one of the oldest mechanical tools in human history1 and led to machines ranging from early irrigation systems and clocks, to modern engines and robotics. For the first time, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering have utilized a catalytic reaction that causes a two-dimensional, chemically-coated sheet to spontaneously "morph" into a three-dimensional gear that performs sustained work.