title: Acetylene bubble-powered autonomous capsules: towards in situ fuel.
abstract: A fuel-free autonomous self-propelled motor is illustrated. The motor is powered by the chemistry of calcium carbide and utilising water as a co-reactant, through a polymer encapsulation strategy. Expulsion of acetylene bubbles powers the capsule motor. This is an important step, going beyond the toxic hydrogen peroxide fuel used normally, to find alternative propellants for self-propelled machines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry & Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore. pumera@ntu.edu.sg pumera.research@outlook.com.
authors.forename: James Guo Sheng
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Moo
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pumera
mesh_terms: D000114:Acetylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D002214:Capsules / Q000737:chemistry*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013450:Sulfones / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D011108:Polymers; D013450:Sulfones; D014867:Water; C017662:polysulfone P 1700; D000431:Ethanol; C006873:calcium carbide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000114:Acetylene