Periodic reciprocating motion of a polymer gel on an aqueous phase synchronized with the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.

A self-oscillating gel induced by the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was investigated on an aqueous phase. When the Ru-catalyst in the gel was rapidly oxidized, the gel was accelerated in a direction opposite to the side of oxidation. The gel then returned to its original position while the Ru-catalyst in the gel was slowly reduced. To clarify the mechanism of this periodic reciprocation of the gel, the contact angle between a sessile bubble and the gel and the time-variation of the adhesive force of the gel on the aqueous phase were measured. The experimental results suggest that the periodic reciprocation of the gel is driven by the periodic change in the contact angle of the gel induced by the BZ reaction.