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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Preparation and 3D Tracking of Catalytic Swimming Devices

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Published on: July 1, 2016

Metal-Organic Framework "Swimmers" with Energy-Efficient Autonomous Motility.

Jun H Park¹, Slawomir Lach¹, Konstantin Polev¹

¹IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, ‡Department of Chemistry, and §Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , UNIST-gil 50, Ulsan 689-798, South Korea.

|October 26, 2017

Summary

Porphyrin-based metal-organic framework (MOF) particles exhibit autonomous motility at water/air interfaces, powered by solvent release. These shape-directed movers are efficient, reusable, and can organize into collective dynamic structures.

Keywords:

autonomous motion collective behavior metal−organic frameworks microstructure surface tension

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Chemical Engineering
Physical Chemistry

Background:

Autonomous motility in synthetic materials is crucial for advanced applications.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer tunable properties for designing functional materials.
Controlling particle movement at interfaces is a key challenge in micro-robotics and soft matter physics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the autonomous motility of porphyrin-based MOF particles at a water/air interface.
To explore the factors influencing the efficiency and directionality of MOF particle movement.
To observe collective behaviors of multiple MOF particles at the interface.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of porphyrin-based MOF particles from large-area films.
Observation of particle motion at the water/air interface using microscopy.
Analysis of propulsion mechanism, speed, and kinetic energy.
Investigation of fuel effects, microstructure, and surface wettability.
Study of collective dynamics of multiple particles.

Main Results:

MOF particles demonstrated efficient, autonomous motility powered by solvent release from the MOF matrix.
Particle speed reached approximately 200 mm·s^-1 with high kinetic energy efficiency (>50 μJ·g^-1).
Motility efficiency was dependent on the fuel, MOF microstructure, and surface wettability.
Particles exhibited shape-dictated directionality and could be refueled multiple times.
Multiple particles organized into dynamic structures displaying collective, time-periodic motions.

Conclusions:

Porphyrin-based MOF particles are effective autonomous movers at interfaces, driven by internal solvent release.
The design of MOF particles allows for tunable propulsion characteristics and collective behaviors.
These findings open avenues for developing self-propelled micro-machines and responsive soft materials.