Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
10:35
Designing Microfluidic Devices for Studying Cellular Responses Under Single or Coexisting Chemical/Electrical/Shear Stress Stimuli
Published on: August 13, 2016
9.4K
Self-Propulsion via Nontransitive Phase Coexistence in Chemically Active Mixtures.
Yicheng Qiang1, Chengjie Luo1, David Zwicker1
1Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Faßberg 17, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|January 20, 2026
Summary
Chemical reactions in active matter mixtures drive phase separation by altering chemical potential and osmotic pressure. This non-transitive phase coexistence enables self-propulsion and complex dynamics in these systems.
Area of Science:
- Active matter physics
- Chemical kinetics
- Soft condensed matter
Background:
- Chemical activity is key in active matter, influencing self-propulsion and phase separation.
- Phase separation can also arise from passive physical interactions, complicating the role of chemical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how chemical reactions, specifically interconverting solvent species and segregating solutes, influence phase separation in active matter.
- To understand the interplay between chemical potential, osmotic pressure, and phase behavior.
Main Methods:
- Studying mixtures with interconverting solvent species and segregating solutes.
- Analyzing the effects of chemical reactions on chemical potential balance and osmotic pressure at interfaces.
Main Results:
- Chemical reactions alter the chemical potential balance and create osmotic pressure differences at interfaces, driving phase separation.
- The system exhibits non-transitive phase coexistence, where bulk compositions depend on contacting phases.
Conclusions:
- Chemical activity significantly impacts phase separation dynamics in active matter beyond passive interactions.
- Non-transitive phase coexistence, enabled by chemical reactions, leads to emergent behaviors like self-propulsion and complex dynamics.
More Related Videos
08:55Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
7.9K
08:00Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain
Published on: March 27, 2018
11.6K
Related Concept Videos
02:31Phase Transitions
22.7K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
22.7K
02:39Phase Diagrams
49.0K
A phase diagram combines plots of pressure versus temperature for the liquid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-gas phase-transition equilibria of a substance. These diagrams indicate the physical states that exist under specific conditions of pressure and temperature and also provide the pressure dependence of the phase-transition temperatures (melting points, sublimation points, boiling points). Regions or areas labeled solid, liquid, and gas represent single phases, while lines or curves represent...
49.0K
03:27Mixtures of Acids
21.6K
The pH of a solution containing an acid can be determined using its acid dissociation constant and its initial concentration. If a solution contains two different acids, then its pH can be determined using one of several methods depending upon the relative strength of the acids and their dissociation constants.
A Mixture of a Strong Acid and a Weak Acid
In a mixture of a strong acid and a weak acid, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions...
A Mixture of a Strong Acid and a Weak Acid
In a mixture of a strong acid and a weak acid, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions...
21.6K
01:19Mixtures of Acids
1.1K
The pH of a solution containing an acid can be determined using its acid dissociation constant and initial concentration. If a solution contains two different acids, then its pH can be determined using one of several methods depending on the relative strength of the acids and their dissociation constants.
In a strong and weak acid mixture, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions present in the solution. In contrast, the weak acid shows...
In a strong and weak acid mixture, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions present in the solution. In contrast, the weak acid shows...
1.1K
01:03Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II
2.8K
A rocket's velocity in the presence of a gravitational field is decreased by the amount of force exerted by Earth's gravitational field, which opposes the motion of the rocket. If we consider thrust, that is, the force exerted on a rocket by the exhaust gases, then a rocket's thrust is greater in outer space than in the atmosphere or on a launch pad. In fact, gases are easier to expel in a vacuum.
A rocket's acceleration depends on three major factors, consistent with the...
A rocket's acceleration depends on three major factors, consistent with the...
2.8K
01:10Thermodynamics: Chemical Potential and Activity
1.7K
The effective concentration of a species in a solution can be expressed precisely in terms of its activity. Activity considers the effect of electrolytes present in the vicinity of the species of interest and depends on the ionic strength of the solution. The activity of a species is expressed as the product of molar concentration and the activity coefficient of the species.
The thermodynamic equilibrium constant is more accurately defined in terms of activity rather than concentration.
The thermodynamic equilibrium constant is more accurately defined in terms of activity rather than concentration.
1.7K