Peristaltic Motion of Polymer Gels

It's alive! A polymer gel has been developed that can generate a peristaltic motion without external stimuli. The motion is produced by dissipating the chemical energy of an oscillating reaction that occurs inside the gel. Although the gel is solely composed of a synthetic polymer, it shows independent motion as if it were alive. The motion of the gel can be harnessed to transport objects with millimeter dimensions (see picture). Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW under http://www.wiley-vch.de/contents/jc_2002/2008/z801347_s.html or from the author. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.