Langmuir, Vol.31, No.40, 11005-11011, 2015
Cation-Dependent Emergence of Regular Motion of a Float
We report a unique ion-dependent motion of a float at an oil/water interface. The type of motion depended on the cation species that was dissolved in the water. Irregular vibrations occurred when the water contained Ca2+, back-and-forth motion occurred when the water contained Fe2+, a type of motion intermediate between these occurred when the water contained Mn2+, and intermittent long-distance travel occurred when the water contained Fe3+. This is one of the simplest systems that can be used to show how macroscopic regular motion emerges depending on specific chemicals, which is one of the central issues in the study of biological and biomimetic motions.