Self-oscillating surface of gel for autonomous mass transport

As a novel biomimetic gels deffering from conventonal stimuli-responsive polymer gels, we have developed a “self-oscillating” gel that swells and deswells periodically under constant condition without on–off switching of external stimuli. The gel is composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to which the catalyst of the oscillating chemical reaction, called Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, is covalently immobilized. The chemical oscillation is converted to the mechanical oscillation of the gel through the change in hydrophilicity of polymer chains with the redox changes of the immobilized catalyst. By utilizing the self-oscillating gel, several kinds of functional material systems such as biomimetic actuators, etc. are expected. Here we review a potential application to functional surface to realize autonomous mass-transport by utilizing the peristaltic motion of the gel. With the propagation of the chemical wave, the loaded cargo is autonomously transported on the surface. In order to fabricate the self-driven gel conveyer for a wider use including biomedical applications, the interactions between the self-oscillating gel and the loaded gel cargo were investigated and their influence on the transport phenomena were evaluated.

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► A self-oscillating gel that undergoes autonomous swelling-deswelling motion has been developed.
► The gel sheet shows periataltic motion with propagation of chemical wave.
► An object can be automatically transported on the surface.