Spontaneous motion of polymer gels on water

S. Matsumoto; Jianping Gong; Yoshihito Osada

doi:10.1117/12.237139

26 April 1996 Spontaneous motion of polymer gels on water

S. Matsumoto, Jianping Gong, Yoshihito Osada

Proceedings Volume 2779, 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.237139
Event: 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials, 1996, Lyon, France

Abstract

We have discovered that cross-linked polymer gels with hydrophobicity swollen in organic solvent undergo spontaneous motion when immersed in water. The mode of motion largely depends on the shape of the gel: a disc-shaped gel exhibits translational motion while a triangular or a square-shaped one exhibits rotation. The velocity and duration of gel motion are strongly associated with its size and chemical structure. The larger the gel, the longer the gel can keep motion. The mechanism of the gel motion on water has been investigated and we have found that the driven force of motion is from the surface spreading of organic solvent on water surface.

Citation Download Citation

S. Matsumoto, Jianping Gong, and Yoshihito Osada "Spontaneous motion of polymer gels on water", Proc. SPIE 2779, 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, (26 April 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.237139

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