Dual-Responsive Self-Propulsion Smart Device Steadily Driven by CO₂ and H₂O₂

In this paper, we introduce a kind of tertiary amine-based CO₂-responsive material combining with the H₂O₂-responsive material to develop a dual-responsive self-propulsion smart device which can convert the chemical energy of H₂O₂ into mechanical energy steadily through diving-surfacing cycles. In this dual-responsive device, the CO₂-responsive material is designed as a wettability conversion species, which is wrapped with a strip of platinum to catalyze the decomposition of H₂O₂ to generate gaseous O₂ to realize surfacing. In deionized water, the device floats on the surface of the water initially and can perform a diving-surfacing cycle when CO₂ and H₂O₂ stimuli are alternately applied to the aqueous solution. The cyclic movement of the device can be realized by the generation and release of the inner gas through the hydrophobic cover, leading to a new controllable transition of different kinds of energy.