Light‐Powered Self‐Sustainable Macroscopic Motion for the Active Locomotion of Materials

The creation of small robots comprised of tiny molecules is an intriguing research theme for chemists. Recently, there have been remarkable reports of photoresponsive molecules that exhibit mechanical function. Light‐driven multimolecular robots will likely soon be a commercial reality. However, most light‐actuated materials do not move self‐continuously; thus, microrobots made of these materials must have external controls. To create a drone‐type molecular robot, a self‐governing mechanism for mechanical movements must be installed. This Minireview summarizes recent reports of light‐driven materials that are capable of locomotion. By proposing a very simple model and numerical analysis to describe strategies for continuous motion, this paper shows that the coupling of nonlinear phenomena is the key underlying the self‐regulation of reactions in these materials, offering important design insights for researchers.