Polymer gel squeezes and strains like an intestine
by
James Mitchell Crow, RSC
—
last modified
05-16-12 07:43 AM
Copyright 2012, RSC
A reaction best known for the attractive swirling patterns it produces in a Petri dish is more than just a pretty face, chemists in Japan have shown. The researchers have found that the oscillating chemical waves of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction are strong enough to carry a cargo, driving it along a length of smart polymer tubing using contractions - just like an intestine. More...
