Scientist Pioneer Innovative Material for Soft Robots Parts

IKBFU researchers synthesised cobalt complex-based self-oscillating gels. Such gels are capable of periodically changing their geometric properties, which makes them suitable for creation of chemomechanical materials that convert chemical energy into mechanical vibration energy. Since chemical waves arise in the gel, it could be possible to use the material to develop a device that processes information through the chemical wave interaction. The findings were published in the Gels scientific journal .

Self-oscillating polymer gels are increasingly in demand in chemistry, physics and robotics, as their properties — density, volume, colour and others — change periodically. For example, a gel with the ability to change its size could be used in micropumps or actuators to convert chemical energy into mechanical energy (motion). The ability of such materials to change their state is due to a periodic Belousov-Zhabotinsky redox reaction. To date, most self-oscillating gels are costliness, photosensitivity and complexity of synthesis. Therefore, researchers are looking for more affordable alternatives.

IKBFU researcherssynthesised self-oscillating gels based on cheap, easy-to-synthesise and light-insensitive cobalt complexes. During the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, chemical waves propagated in the gels, which caused gels to periodically change colour. One of the gels, in addition to changing colour (from yellow to orange) changed its volume, either shrinking or swelling. This property of the gel can be used to create actuators for soft robots based on it.

In the future, the researchers plan to continue the development and research of cobalt complex-based self-oscillating gels in order to achieve stronger mechanical oscillations of gels and to learn how to obtain them in the form of three-dimensional figures of given sizes and shapes, which is necessary for the creation of actuators.