Abstract
Stimuli-responsive polymers and their application to biomaterials are widely studied. On the other hand, as a novel
biomimetic polymer, we have been studying the polymer with an autonomous self-oscillating function by utilizing
oscillating chemical reactions. So far, we succeeded in developing a novel self-oscillating polymer and gels by utilizing the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. The self-oscillating polymer is composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), in which Ru(bpy)3 is incorporated as a catalyst for the BZ reaction. Under the coexistence of
the reactants (malonic acid, sodium bromate, and nitric acid), the polymer undergoes spontaneous cyclic solubleinsoluble changes or swelling-deswelling changes (in the case of gel) without any on-off switching of external stimuli.
In this review, our recent studies on the self-oscillating polymer and the design of functional material systems using
the polymer are summarized.
