Janus particles

Imagine you have a ball that has two different sides that act differently from one another. One side of the ball likes to stick to water, while the other side does not. This ball is like a janus particle!

Janus particles are tiny particles that have two distinct sides with different properties. These sides can have different chemical makeup, charge, or texture. Much like how the two sides of the janus ball behave differently with water, janus particles can interact differently with their surroundings depending on which side they are showing.

Scientists use janus particles to make things like really cool-looking paints, to help deliver drugs to specific parts of the body, or even to make micro-machines that can change their shape or move in response to certain conditions.

Overall, janus particles are just tiny particles with two different sides that can do some pretty neat things in the world of science and technology.