Mechano-chemical oscillations and waves in reactive gels

We review advances in a new area of interdisciplinary research that concerns phenomena arising from inherent coupling between non-linear chemical dynamics and mechanics. This coupling provides a route for chemical-to-mechanical energy transduction, which enables materials to exhibit self-sustained oscillations and/or waves in both concentration and deformation fields. We focus on synthetic polymer gels, where the chemo-mechanical behavior can be engineered into the material. We provide a brief review of experimental observations on several types of chemo-mechanical oscillations in gels. Then, we discuss methods used to theoretically and computationally model self-oscillating polymer gels. The rest of the paper is devoted to describing results of theoretical and computational modeling of gels that undergo the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. We discuss a remarkable form of mechano-chemical transduction in these materials, where the application of an applied force or mechanical contact can drive the system to switch between different dynamical behavior, or alter the mechanical properties of the material. Finally, we discuss ways in which photosensitive BZ gels could be used to fabricate biomimetic self-propelled objects. In particular, we describe how non-uniform illumination can be used to direct the movement of BZ gel 'worms' along complex paths, guiding them to bend, reorient and turn.