Tetrazole Linkages as Photoactivated Fuels for Light‐Regulated Photothermal/Photocatalytic Propulsion of Versatile Polymer Nanoplatforms

Abstract

AbstractColloidal motors with multimode propulsion have attracted considerable attention because of enhanced transportability. It is a great challenge to fabricate colloidal motors powered by a single engine for multimode synergistic propulsion. Herein, we report on Janus versatile polymer nanoplatforms integrating various functionalities via tetrazole linkages for light‐regulated multimode synergistic propulsion in the liquid. The presence of tetrazole linkages in the polymers endows the nanoparticles with various photoresponsive capabilities. A sole energy source (ultraviolet or visible light) simultaneously activates photocatalytic N2 release and photothermal conversion within the tetrazole‐containing polymer phase at one side of asymmetric nanoparticles for converting light energy into photothermal/photocatalytic propulsion independent of the surrounding chemical medium. The photoactivated locomotion using tetrazoles as light‐triggered fuels highly corresponds to light wavelengths, light powers and tetrazole contents. The tetrazole linkages capable of incorporating various functionalities to the polymer nanoparticles allow on‐demand customizing of the colloidal motors, showing great potential in bio‐applications.