Dynamic Bonding Enabled Ambient-Driven Motors

Harnessing ambient low-density energy and converting it into macroscopic motion is a hallmark of living systems. However, artificial systems are often limited by high energy requirements and intricate control mechanisms. Inspired by Salmonella, which uses dynamic ion-binding coordination for continuous motion, we proposed a novel concept of self-oscillating motors leveraging molecular-level dynamic bonding to harvest trivial ambient energy and power macroscopic, self-sustained behavior. Specifically, we developed a coordination motorized oscillator (CoMO) based on novel supramolecular PDMS material with 25-fold thermo-inflation ability of normal PDMS and nearly 2000-fold that of the passive layer. CoMO can harvest ambient energy as low as body temperature to reversibly dissociate coordination crosslinks, transforming molecular transitions into sustained macroscopic oscillation. Its universality facilitates the amplification of macroscopic motion via the collective behaviors of CoMOs. Moreover, this principle empowers the development of ambient-driven coordination motored robots (CoMbot) with multi-modal locomotion and adaptability across diverse terrains. Such dynamic chemical transitions enabled chemo-mechanical coupling for self-sustained systems, paving new avenues for robust transition-mechanical transducing material systems and soft machineries with unprecedented capabilities.