Abstract
We developed “self-oscillating” gels that undergo spontaneous cyclic swelling－deswelling changes without any on －off switching of external stimuli, as with heart muscle. The self-oscillating gels were designed by utilizing the Belousov －Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, an oscillating reaction, as a chemical model of the TCA cycle. We have systematically studied these polymer gels since they were first reported in 1996. Potential applications of the self-oscillating polymers and gels include several kinds of functional material systems, such as biomimetic actuators, mass transport systems and functional fluids. For example, it was demonstrated that an object was autonomously transported in the tubular self-oscillating gel by the peristaltic pumping motion similar to an intestine. Further, self-oscillating polymer brush surface was prepared and the dynamic behavior was evaluated. Besides, autonomous viscosity oscillation was realized via metallo-supramolecular terpyridine chemistry, etc. Self-oscillation between unimer/micelle or unimer/vesicle structures was also realized for a synthetic block copolymer. Here our recent progress on the self-oscillating polymer gels is summarized.
