Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation
Published on: August 28, 2017
Remote Actuation of a Light-Emitting Device Based on Magnetic Stirring and Wireless Electrochemistry
Alice L Dauphin1,2,3, Stéphane Arbault1,2,3, Alexander Kuhn1,2,3
1Univ. Bordeaux, ISM, UMR 5255, 33400, Talence, France.
Abstract:
We propose a straightforward access to a rotating light-emitting device powered by wireless electrochemistry. A magnetic stirrer is used to rotate a light-emitting diode (LED) due to the intrinsic magnetic properties of the tips that contain iron. At the same time, the LED is submitted to an electric field and acts as a bipolar electrode. The electrochemical processes that are coupled on both extremities of the LED drive an electron flow across the device, resulting in light emission. The variation of the LED alignment in time enables an alternating light emission that is directly controlled by the rotation rate. The stirring also enables a continuous mixing of the electrolyte that improves the stability of the output signal. Finally, the LED brightness can readily reveal a change of chemical composition in the electrolyte solution.

