Sodium polyacrylate-induced pH pattern formation and starch-induced iodine pattern formation were investigated in the iodate-sulfite-thiosulfate (IST) reaction in a one-side fed disc gel reactor (OSFR). As binding agents of the autocatalyst of hydrogen ions or iodide ions, different content of sodium polyacrylate or starch has induced various types of pattern formation. We observed pH pulses, striped patterns, mixed spots and stripes, and hexagonal spots upon increasing the content of sodium polyacrylate and observed iodine pulses, branched patterns, and labyrinthine patterns upon increasing the starch content in the system. Coexistence of a pH front and an iodine front was also studied in a batch IST reaction-diffusion system. Both pH and iodine front instabilities were observed in the presence of sodium polyacrylate, i.e., cellular fronts and transient Turing structures resulting from the decrease in diffusion coefficients of activators. The mechanism of multiple feedback may explain the different patterns in the IST reaction-diffusion system.

Asymmetry in the interaction between an individual and its environment is generally considered essential for the directional properties of active matter, but can directional locomotions and their transitions be generated only from intrinsic chemical dynamics and its modulation? Here, we examine this question by simulating the locomotion of a bioinspired active gel in a homogeneous environment. We find that autonomous directional locomotion emerges in the absence of asymmetric interaction with the environment and that a transition between modes of gel locomotion can be induced by adjusting the spatially uniform intensity of illumination or certain kinetic and mechanical system parameters. The internal wave dynamics and its structural modulation act as the impetus for signal-driven active locomotion in a manner similar to the way in which an animal’s locomotion is generated via driving by nerve pulses. Our results may have implications for the development of soft robots and biomimetic materials.

We study the oxidation dynamics of thiosulfate ions by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of trace amounts of copper(II) using the reaction temperature as a control parameter in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor. The system displays period-doubling, aperodic, and mixed-mode oscillations at different temperatures. We are able to simulate these complex dynamics with a model proposed by Kurin-Csorgei et al. The model suggests that the Cu(2+)-containing term is not essential for the observed oscillations. We find small-amplitude and high-frequency oscillations in the catalyst-free experimental system. The reaction between H(2)O(2) and S(2)O(3)(2-) contains the core mechanism of the H(2)O(2)-S(2)O(3)(2-)-Cu(2+) and H(2)O(2)-S(2)O(3)(2-)-SO(3)(2-) oscillatory systems, while the Cu(2+) and SO(3)(2-) modulate the feedback loops so as to strengthen the oscillatory dynamics.

The Briggs−Rauscher reaction is a popular demonstration to illustrate chemical oscillations in laboratories, classrooms, and public seminars because of its simplicity and visual appeal. Here, we adapt the Briggs−Rauscher reaction to present reaction−diffusion−convection patterns in the undergraduate general or physical chemistry laboratory. By maintaining the ratio between malonic acid and potassium iodate concentrations as 0.2 in an uncovered Petri dish, sequential patterns (transient dendritic patterns and rotating dendritic patterns) can be observed, which are induced by the interaction of reaction, diffusion, and convection. This beautiful demonstration captures students' attention and inspires reflection and discussion about similar phenomena in nature as well as the wealth of behaviors in systems far from equilibrium.