Thermoplastic Photoheating Polymer Enables 3D-Printed Self-Healing Light-Propelled Smart Devices

Swimming devices have shown great potential in various fields. Future swimming devices are expected to be capable of facile fabrication, smart on-demand transportation, and self-healing. Here, a swimming device is developed with the aforementioned features based on a newly designed photoheating thermoplastic poly(sebacoyl diglyceride-co-4,4′-azodibenzoyl diglyceride) (PSeDA). PSeDA). PSeDA can be instantly heated by ultraviolet light to modulate its spatiotemporal viscoelasticity. Accordingly, a series of swimming devices are customized via single integrated 3D printing. The micrometer-scale grid structure enables versatile multimode motion and generates a higher propulsive force than that of typical molded analogs based on the photoheat-induced Marangoni effect. The device exhibits smart transportation capabilities, including capture, conveyance, and release, and is also the first of its kind to achieve self-healing. This work provides a design principle for swimming devices in which the key is photoheating thermoplastics. This design principle of material is further demonstrated by synthesizing photoheating thermoplastics responsive to visible and near infrared light and will inspire an exciting field of thermoplastics.