| Jun 03, 2026 |
Whisky-related sulphur compounds power copper-based microparticles to swim through liquids, advancing controllable microscopic machines.
(Nanowerk News) Whisky-inspired chemicals could help power a new generation of microscopic machines, according to researchers who have discovered a way to make tiny particles ‘swim’ through liquid using compounds linked to the production of Scotland’s national drink.
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Scientists drew inspiration from the chemistry behind whisky’s distinctive flavours and aromas, which are shaped by sulphur-containing compounds formed during fermentation and modulated during distillation and ageing.
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By harnessing reactions between these sulphur compounds and copper, the researchers developed tiny particles which can move through liquid by themselves.
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They are so small several of them could fit across the width of a human hair. It is hoped the experimental work, published in the ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (“Whisky-Inspired Active Matter”) may open up new possibilities for designing tiny self-propelled systems inspired by everyday industrial and natural processes.
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Lead researcher Dr Juliane Simmchen from the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, said: “The work was inspired by the well-known reactivity between copper and sulphides that slowly consumes the whisky stills and requires them to be exchanged periodically during whisky making.
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In this research, the microscopic swimmers are tiny copper-based particles. When they are placed in liquids containing certain sulphur compounds, reactions on the particle surface make them move through the liquid on their own.
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“We found that a group of water-soluble sulphur compounds that are often related to whisky successfully powered the particles, with some travelling at speeds of up to 30 micrometres per second.”
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Researchers also examined how the particles behaved in mixtures of water and ethanol, the alcohol found in whisky. The study showed that changing the liquid environment affected how they moved, offering new insights into how microscopic propulsion systems could be controlled.
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