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In this study, we introduce a self-propelled disk utilizing hinokitiol as a surface-active “fuel” within a polystyrene elastomer matrix, floating on the water surface. Hinokitiol-containing disks exhibited spontaneous transitions from continuous to oscillatory movement, distinctly without the need for external inputs. By leveraging the phase transitions of hinokitiol and tuning the mesoscale structure of the polymer scaffold, we succeeded in modulating the duration of continuous motion and frequency of oscillation in the macroscopic motion of the disks. These findings demonstrate that life-like macroscopic motion can be systematically engineered by coordinating the molecular arrangement of fuel species and the mesoscale structures of the surrounding polymer scaffold, presenting a versatile molecular design approach for synthetic self-propelled materials.

Rights:

• Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International
  

Keyword: Self-Propelled Motion, Marangoni Flow, Hinokitiol, Polystyrene Elastomer, Phase Separation

Date published: 2025-10-29

Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Journal:

• Journal of the American Chemical Society (ISSN: 00027863) vol. 147 issue. 43 p. 40024-40034

Funding:

• Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology JPMXP1224NM5109
• Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology JPMXP1225NM5064
• Inamori Foundation
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP21H01004
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP23K03347
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP23K04725
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP24H01734

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c17346

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Updated at: 2025-11-06 12:30:20 +0900

Published on MDR: 2025-11-06 12:24:51 +0900