Premium
Photo‐Controlled Waves and Active Locomotion
Author(s) -
Epstein Irving R.,
Gao Qingyu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201700725
Subject(s) - biological system , phototropism , diffusion , reaction–diffusion system , traveling wave , belousov–zhabotinsky reaction , component (thermodynamics) , feedback control , chemical reaction , control theory (sociology) , physics , control (management) , computer science , mechanics , optics , chemical physics , chemistry , blue light , control engineering , engineering , artificial intelligence , mathematics , thermodynamics , mathematical analysis , biology , biochemistry
Waves of chemical concentration, created by the interaction between reaction and diffusion, occur in a number of chemical systems far from equilibrium. In appropriately chosen polymer gels, these waves generate mechanical forces, which can result in locomotion. When a component of the system is photosensitive, light can be used to modulate and control these waves. In this Concept article, we examine various forms of photo‐control of such systems, focusing particularly on the Belousov–Zhabotinsky oscillating chemical reaction. The phenomena we consider include image storage and image processing, feedback‐control and feedback‐induced clustering of waves, and phototropic and photophobic locomotion. Several of these phenomena have analogues in or potential applications to biological systems.