Active colloids, which are self-propelled synthetic particles, serve as important model systems for active matter studies and as emerging microrobots in various fields such as biomedicine, environmental surveillance, and micro-assembly. One popular way to power active colloids is by catalytically decomposing chemical fuels. Emergent behaviors can then arise, such as cluster, school, flock, predator-prey dynamics, and motion waves. Understanding and controlling these collective behaviors could provide insights into similar behaviors in living microorganisms and aid the design of biomimetic materials. In this talk, I will begin with an overview of active colloids and the underlying physics and chemistry that enable their motion. Then, I'll present two series of studies from our lab on the individual motion and collective behavior of two types of chemically-active colloids. The goal of this talk is to introduce the interdisciplinary topic of active colloids that could interest and inspire chemists, materials scientists, engineers, and soft matter physicists.

Please contact phweb@ust.hk should you have questions about the talk.