| POLYMERS Vol.62 No.3 |
| >> Chinese | >> English | >> Japanese | >> Korean |
COVER STORY
Polymer Machines and Their Applications |
| COVER STORY: Highlight Reviews |
| Biomimetic Machines Using Self-Oscillating Polymers | Ryo YOSHIDA |
| <Abstract> We
have been studying polymer gels with an autonomous self-oscillating function,
since firstly reported in 1996. We succeeded in developing novel self-oscillating
polymers and gels by utilizing the oscillating reaction, called the Belousov-Zhabotinsky
(BZ) reaction.
The polymer gel undergoes spontaneous cyclic swelling-deswelling changes
or soluble-insoluble changes (in the case of uncrosslinked polymer) without
any on-off switching of
external stimuli. Potential applications of the self-oscillating polymers
and gels include several kinds of functional material systems, such as
biomimetic actuators, mass transport surface and functional fluid. For
example, it was demonstrated that an object was autonomously transported
in the tubular self-oscillating gel by the peristaltic pumping motion
similar to an intestine. Further, it is possible to create a new dynamic
interface by immobilizing the self-oscillating polymer. We prepared a
self-oscillating polymer brush surface and evaluated its dynamic behavior.
In this review, such recent progress on the gel toward artificial biomachines
will be introduced. Keywords: Polymer Gels / Autonomic Function / Oscillating Reaction / Self-Oscillation / Smart Materials / Biomimetic Machines |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Energy Transducing Machines with Conductive Polymers | Hidenori OKUZAKI |
| <Abstract> Polymers
that undergo dimensional changes in response to various environmental
stimuli are capable of transducing chemical or physical energy directly
into mechanical work. Here we introduce conductive polymer actuators
that exhbit volume changes resulting from electrochemical doping/dedoping
of dopant ions or sorption/desorption of water vapor caused by Joule
heating as energy transducing machines. Keywords: Conductive Polymer / Actuator / Artificial Muscle / Electro-active Polymer / Polypyrrole / Doping / PEDOT/PSS / PolyMuscle |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| DNA Nanomachines that Move on the DNA Origami Structures | Masayuki ENDO, Hiroshi SUGIYAMA |
| <Abstract> DNA
is one of the most promising bio macromolecules for the design and construction
of molecular machines. Various dynamic motions of DNA molecules can be
operated by the strand displacement using the sequence programmability
and the precise self-assembly. In this article, we give an overview of
the recent DNA nanomachines that are working on the DNA origami structure.
We describe the details of three types of DNA nanomachines including
DNA walker, DNA spider, and DNA motor. The construction, operation, and
analysis of the movements of the DNA nanomachines are also described. Keywords: DNA Nanomachine / DNA Nanostructure / DNA Origami / Strand Displacement / Atomic Force Microscopy / DNA Motor / DNA Walker / DNA Spider |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| COVER STORY: Topics and Products |
| Development of Actuator that Uses Slide Ring Material and Application to Artificial Arm | Hiromitsu TAKEUCHI |
| <Abstract> Recently,
driving sources with excellent lightweight properties and silence are
requested. Therefore, a variety of polymer actuators is actively researched
and developed. Polymer dielectric actuators
show an excellent characteristic in the response and the energy efficiency
in these actuators. However, dielectric actuators have the problem requiring
high drive voltages. To overcome this fault, a novel polymeric material
(slide ring material) was adopted. Moreover, we made an artificial arm
that moved with a dielectric actuator. Keywords: Polymer Actuator / Artificial Muscle / Slide Ring Material / Artificial Arm |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Controlling the Moving Direction of Microtubules at Nanometer Scale Toward Realizing a Nanosystem | Ryuji YOKOKAWA |
| <Abstract> Motor
proteins, such as kinesin or dynein, contribute to transport intracellular
materials in vivo. Their significant functions in vivo have attracted many researchers to uncover their function at a single molecule
level in medical science or biophysics fields. According to progress
in understanding of their functions, they are recently considered as
a driving source at nanometer scale toward an engineering purpose. One
of engineering-oriented research directions is to utilize kinesin and
dynein motors as a transporter of target molecules. We have built a microtubule
array having predefined polarities on nanotracks, which can be regarded
as a in vitro microtubule arrangement that is seen in a living cell. A molecular sequence
was designed to have two molecules that have affinity by molecular specific
bindings. Motors carrying these molecules move on the microtubule array,
and collide resuling in Q-dot colocalizations. This is a demonstration
of molecular total analysis systems (MTAS) utilizing the motility function
of motor proteins. Keywords: Motor Protein / Kinesin / Dynein / Microtubule / μTAS (Micro Total Analysis Systems) / Micro/Nano Fabrication |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Rotory Motor Fueled by ATP | Akira KAKUGO |
| <Abstract> Biological
motors such as actin/myosin and microtubule/kinesin are possible candidates
as the building blocks of the Rotory Motor. Coupling them to ATP hydrolysis,
biological motors are able to generate mechanical motion at ambient temperature
with high energy conversion efficiency. Our greatest concern is the integration
of these molecular blocks into functional structures. To fabricate well-ordered
assembly structures, we have developed an active self-organization method
in an energy dissipative non-equilibrium system. Based on the active
self-organization principles, we demonstrate that the functions of motor
protein systems can be integrated into ordered structures that can work
as actuators. Keywords: Biomolecular Motor / Active Self-Organization / Air / Liquid interface / Rotary Motor |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Light-Driven Polymer Actuators | Jun-ichi MAMIYA |
| <Abstract> Precisely
controlled and reversible three-dimensional movements are expected to
find applications as polymer actuators, micromechanical components and
artificial muscles. The molecular-level photoisomerization can give rise
to macroscopic deformation of crosslinked liquid-crystalline polymers,
allowing one
to convert light energy directly into mechanical work (photomechanical
materials). The connection between photoisomerization of the azobenzenes,
photoinduced change in molecular alignment, generated stress, and macroscopic
deformation
was analyzed. Three-dimensional movements of the crosslinked polymers
and their composite materials driven by light were demonstrated: light-driven
rotational, translational, and flexible robotic arm motions. A precise
directional control of the photomobility in the crosslinked liquid-crystalline
polymer fibers was achieved. Keywords: Photochromism / Actuator / Liquid Crystal / Crosslinked Polymer / Photomobile Material / Energy Conversion |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Polymer Science and I: A Personal Account |
| Innovation Needs Scientists' Network like Polymers | Takeo SUGA |
| <Abstract> This essay includes some of my research topics on functional polymers, and episodes of my research life. I appreciate my former and current colleagues and advisors, who helped me to link to this academic world. And I believe to link scientists like polymer synthesis will lead to innovation in the future. |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Front-Line Polymer Science |
| Element-Block Polymers Based on Organoboron Complexes | Kazuo TANAKA, Yoshiki CHUJO |
| <Abstract> Recent
works on the element-block materials based on organoboron-containing
polymers are reviewed. The electronic interaction and correlation involving
organoboron complexes are responsible for their unique optical and electric
properties of polymers. For comprehending the origins of these properties
and applying them to the next generation of new materials, researchers
have gathered not only the fundamental knowledge on the electronic states
and behaviors of each organoboron complex in the polymers but also on
the functions of the polymers in the devices. In this issue, we explain
recent findings obtained from a series of studies on the polymers involving
highly-functional element-blocks. Keywords: Element-Block / Organoboron / Conjugated Polymer/ Emission / Electron Conductivity / Opto-Electric Device |
| Top of the Page▲ |
| Copyright(C) 2012 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan All Rights Reserved. |