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Title: Collective chemomechanical oscillations in active hydrogels
We report on the collective response of an assembly of chemomechanical Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) hydrogel beads. We first demonstrate that a single isolated spherical BZ hydrogel bead with a radius below a critical value does not oscillate, whereas an assembly of the same BZ hydrogel beads presents chemical oscillation. A BZ chemical model with an additional flux of chemicals out of the BZ hydrogel captures the experimentally observed transition from oxidized nonoscillating to oscillating BZ hydrogels and shows this transition is due to a flux of inhibitors out of the BZ hydrogel. The model also captures the role of neighboring BZ hydrogel beads in decreasing the critical size for an assembly of BZ hydrogel beads to oscillate. We finally leverage the quorum sensing behavior of the collective to trigger their chemomechanical oscillation and discuss how this collective effect can be used to enhance the oscillatory strain of these active BZ hydrogels. These findings could help guide the eventual fabrication of a swarm of autonomous, communicating, and motile hydrogels.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2011846
PAR ID:
10503815
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
National Academy of Sciences
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume:
121
Issue:
6
ISSN:
0027-8424
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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