Three-dimensional model for chemoresponsive polymer gels undergoing the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

We develop a computational model to capture the complex, three-dimensional behavior of chemoresponsive polymer gels undergoing the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. The model combines components of the finite difference and finite element techniques and is an extension of the two-dimensional gel lattice spring model recently developed by two of us [ V. V. Yashin and A. C. Balazs J. Chem. Phys. 126 124707 (2007)]. Using this model, we undertake the first three-dimensional (3D) computational studies of the dynamical behavior of chemoresponsive BZ gels. For sufficiently large sample sizes and a finite range of reaction parameters, we observe regular and nonregular oscillations in both the size and shape of the sample that are coupled to the chemical oscillations. Additionally, we determine the critical values of these reaction parameters at the transition points between the different types of observed behavior. We also show that the dynamics of the chemoresponsive gels drastically depends on the boundary conditions at the surface of the sample. This 3D computational model could provide an effective tool for designing gel-based, responsive systems.