Pattern formation in the Belousov–Zhabotinsky-PAMAM dendrimer system

Abstract

The Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction was studied under the influence of nanometric confinements induced by a complex polymer, the PAMAM-G4 dendrimers. They are well-defined in both molecular weight and architecture and are capable of molecular inclusion, making “unimolecular active micelles”. The effect of such nanocompartments in the BZ reaction is analyzed by changing both the excitability and the concentration of the dendrimer, obtaining a wide range of behaviours, ranging from stationary Turing-like patterns to time dependent structures, such as jumping waves or packet waves.