https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2008-10425-1
Regular Article
Oscillatory dynamics induced in polyelectrolyte gels by a non-oscillatory reaction: A model
Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, Université de Bordeaux and CNRS, F-33600, Pessac, France
* e-mail: boisson@crpp-bordeaux.cnrs.fr
Received:
22
September
2008
Accepted:
16
January
2009
Published online:
19
February
2009
We develop a general model and the associated numerical algorithm to compute the swelling dynamics of chemo-responsive polyelectrolyte gels immersed in a reactive ionic solution kept at a non-equilibrium stationary state by a permanent feed of fresh reactants. Using an autocatalytic bistable but nonoscillatory reaction, namely, the bromate-sulfite reaction, we predict that a piece of hydrogel that swells/shrinks as a function of p H can exhibit spontaneous mechanical and chemical oscillations. This constitutes the extension to realistic and experimentally feasible conditions of results previously obtained on a toy model with artificial swelling conditions.
PACS: 82.40.Ck Pattern formation in reactions with diffusion, flow and heat transfer – / 82.40.Bj Oscillations, chaos, and bifurcations – / 82.33.Ln Reactions in sol gels, aerogels, porous media –
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2009
