Hu Tsai-Ning, Enomoto Takafumi, Akimoto Aya M, Yoshida Ryo
Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Human-Centered Engineering, Faculty of Transdisciplinary Engineering, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Sci Technol Adv Mater. 2025 May 16;26(1):2504869. doi: 10.1080/14686996.2025.2504869. eCollection 2025.
Active matter, characterized by its ability to exhibit autonomous and dynamic behavior, has emerged as a promising platform for mimicking complex biological processes. In biological systems, electrochemical signaling plays a vital role in regulating their dynamic processes, such as muscle contraction. Drawing inspiration from these mechanisms, we demonstrate that electrochemical signaling can effectively modulate the autonomous motion of self-oscillating gels (SOGs), a model active matter system driven by the Belousov - Zhabotinsky reaction. Electrochemical stimulation generates signal transducers, HBrO₂ and Br, enabling the modulation of the autonomous motion of SOGs, including the termination and acceleration of volumetric oscillations. Our findings reveal that the response of SOGs to electrochemical signals is influenced by their geometry, orientation, and the duration of applied potential. These results establish electrochemical signaling as a powerful approach for controlling the behavior of active matter, bridging the gap between synthetic systems and biological mechanisms. By advancing the understanding of active matter dynamics, this work paves the way for applications in soft robotics, adaptive materials, and bioinspired actuators.
活性物质具有展现自主和动态行为的能力，已成为模拟复杂生物过程的一个有前景的平台。在生物系统中，电化学信号传导在调节其动态过程（如肌肉收缩）中起着至关重要的作用。受这些机制的启发，我们证明电化学信号传导可以有效地调节自振荡凝胶（SOG）的自主运动，SOG是一种由Belousov-Zhabotinsky反应驱动的活性物质模型系统。电化学刺激产生信号转导物HBrO₂和Br，从而能够调节SOG的自主运动，包括体积振荡的终止和加速。我们的研究结果表明，SOG对电化学信号的响应受其几何形状、取向和施加电势的持续时间影响。这些结果确立了电化学信号传导作为控制活性物质行为的一种强大方法，弥合了合成系统与生物机制之间的差距。通过增进对活性物质动力学的理解，这项工作为软机器人技术、自适应材料和仿生致动器的应用铺平了道路。
