Lightweight and Porous Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Photothermal Actuators via Marangoni-Effect Propulsion for Multimodal Motion

The microactuator can move at the two-phase interface under light control and has broad applications in energy conversion, biomedical engineering, and soft robotics. Due to noninvasiveness, remote controllability, and high energy conversion efficiency, the photothermal-induced Marangoni effect actuator has become a hot topic in microactuators. In this paper, we successfully fabricated a lightweight, porous, high photothermal, hydrophobic multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) photothermal actuator, which consists of MWCNTs, polydimethylsiloxane, and polystyrene particles. The optimal performance of the actuator was achieved by adjusting the material ratio and parameters. The interaction mechanism between the composite photothermal materials and the light field under different laser irradiations was analyzed in detail. The movement patterns of the photothermal actuator at the air–liquid interface were discussed under different powers and wavelengths of the lasers. Under the irradiation of a laser with an intensity of 0.1 W·cm^–2, it can move forward by 41 mm within 12 s and rotate by 36° within 7 s. This MWCNT photothermal actuator lays a theoretical and experimental foundation for the application of such actuators in soft photothermal-driven robots and has broad application prospects in energy saving and the design of soft robotics.