title: Self-oscillation of polymer chains with rhythmical soluble-insoluble changes.
abstract: Self-oscillation of polymer chains in an aqueous solution has been achieved. The ruthenium catalyst for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction was polymerized by using N-isopropylacrylamide and dissolved into the solution containing the BZ substrates. Periodical soluble-insoluble changes of the polymer chain were spontaneously induced by the BZ reaction. The conformational oscillations of the polymer were measured as the optical transmittance changes of the solution. This is the first report that rhythmical and reversible soluble-insoluble changes of polymer chains are realized under constant and homogeneous conditions. The transducing system from chemical energy of the BZ reaction to optical information has been constructed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. yoshida@bmw.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takamasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000178:Acrylamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D001704:Biopolymers; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011108:Polymers; C415768:tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II); C067295:N-isopropylacrylamide