Self biomimetic soft materials

Kuksenok et al. in Chapter 8 consider self-oscillating gels as biomimetic soft materials. They have modeled systems that exhibit irritability, the ability to sense and respond to a potentially harmful stimulus. Specifically, they have modeled materials based on Yoshida s BZ gel systems that could emit a chemical alarm signal and directed motion in response to a mechanical deformation or impact. This could be a significant step to biomimetic materials with important applications. 

Self-Oscillating Cels as Biomimetic Soft Materials... 

In the light of the above-mentioned nonexhaustive list of examples, MOFs are used in the fine chemical synthesis either as self-supported catalysts or as catalyst carriers in a ship-in-a-hotth concept by encapsulation or grafting of active species. However, we need to look critically at the possibility to generalize these key examples in order to design ideal and universal hybrid catalysts. The development of future applications of these functionalized solids requires taking into account the synthetic limitations of MOF materials and, motivated by early examples of homochiral MOF catalysts (Section 10.4), it seems necessary to focus efforts toward soft reaction conditions and sophisticated biomimetic applications. 

---