Steve Granick is one of the members of a research team that has broken ground on an exciting new area of physics and chemistry. Through use of metal deposition Granick along with Liang Hong, Steven Anthony, and Huilin Tu, has created a material that is geometrically balanced while being a chemical split. The half metallic, half non-metallic particles hold an infinite number of possible applications including medical applications.Within the micron-sized particles lie fluorescent dyes. The dyes appearance when viewing the uncoated portion of the particle and subsequent disappearance when the metallic coated portion of the particle is in view opens up a whole new realm of study for the science of motion.

Granick, who also does work with the ‘Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory’ as well as the ‘Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology’, discussed the value of Janus particles to motion study. Explaining that the twinkling lights that move back and forth, ’swimming’ by Brownian motion are cause by the rotation of the colloidal particles. Discussing the potential for motion study further, he explained that monitoring the particles motion would lead to questions about motion that hadn’t previously been considered.

The possibilities for application grow when combining the individual particles together like beads on strand. With the use of precise imaging equipment, researchers can track the precise movement of entire strands of particles as the tumble around.

When Granick as well as the graduate students, Hong and Anthony as well as Tu, a research associate, teamed up with Dr. Orlin Velev of NC State to apply a low frequency AC current to the particles, the particles reacted by unexpectedly moving perpendicular to the flow of the electrical field. This response, which is contradictory to expectations, is known as “induced-charge electrophoresis”. This was the first demonstration of the phenomenon which was previously proposed theoretically by Dr. Martin Bazant from ‘Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’, who also contributed to the project.

The Janus chemical compound is created by modifying the surface of colloidal particles. The compounds are currently being researched for use as microprobes, microrheometers, as well as families of micro sensors.

Dr. Orlin Velev, the papers leading author, discussed the developments possible use as a medical application proposing a possible ’smart gel’ that would detect a change in the environment around it and respond by introducing drugs that could fight off infections and treat disease.

The Janus moniker comes from the Roman god Janus who was known as the God of change and transition. She was often depicted by two faces looking opposite directions, similar to the two opposing surfaces of the Janus particles.

Granick will present the team’s findings at the March meeting of the American Physical Society.

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