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Self-beating artificial cells: design of cross-linked polymersomes showing self-oscillating motion
Ryota Tamate1, Takeshi Ueki, Ryo Yoshida
1Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
Abstract:
Biomimetic cross-linked polymersomes that exhibit a self-beating motion without any on-off switching are developed. The polymersomes are made from a well-defined synthetic thermoresponsive diblock copolymer, and the thermoresponsive segment includes ruthenium catalysts for the oscillatory chemical reaction and vinylidene groups to cross-link the polymersomes. Autonomous volume and shape oscillations of the cross-linked polymersomes are realized following redox changes of the catalysts.
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