Autonomous pattern formation driven by chemical energy in gel system

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive gels have been applied to soft actuators. Recently, electroactive polymers are said to be promising materials as advanced soft actuators. Its mechanical motion is controlled by external stimuli such as a change in solvent composition, pH, temperature and electric field etc. On the other hand, many living organisms generate an autonomous motion without external driving stimuli. In this proceeding, we report a novel biomimetic gel actuator that can generate peristaltic motion spontaneously without external driving stimuli. The gel actuator converts the chemical energy of oscillating reaction, i.e., the Belouzov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction into the kinetic energy inside the gel. Although the gel is completely composed of synthetic polymer, it shows autonomous motion as if it is alive. We consider that this gel actuator will create a new framework of chemical robot.