Chemical micro-oscillators based on the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction

The results of studies on the development of micro-oscillators (MOs) based on the Belousov –Zhabotinsky (BZ) oscillatory chemical reaction are integrated and systematized. The mechanisms of the BZ reaction and the methods of immobilization of the catalyst of the BZ reaction in micro-volumes are briefly discussed. Methods for creating BZ MOs based on water microdroplets in the oil phase and organic and inorganic polymer microspheres are considered. Methods of control and management of the dynamics of BZ MO networks are described, including methods of MO synchronization. The prospects for the design of neural networks of MOs with intelligent-like behaviour are outlined. Such networks present a new area of nonlinear chemistry, including, in particular, the creation of a chemical ‘computer’.

The bibliography includes 250 references.

Dynamical regimes of four almost identical chemical oscillators coupled via pulse inhibitory coupling with time delay

The dynamics of four almost identical pulse coupled chemical oscillators with time delay are systematically studied.

Inhibitory and excitatory pulse coupling of two frequency-different chemical oscillators with time delay

Dynamical regimes of two pulse coupled non-identical Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillators have been studied experimentally as well as theoretically with the aid of ordinary differential equations and phase response curves both for pure inhibitory and pure excitatory coupling. Time delay τ between a spike in one oscillator and perturbing pulse in the other oscillator plays a significant role for the phase relations of synchronous regimes of the 1:1 and 1:2 resonances. Birhythmicity between anti-phase and in-phase oscillations for inhibitory pulse coupling as well as between 1:2 and 1:1 resonances for excitatory pulse coupling have also been found. Depending on the ratio of native periods of oscillations T2/T1, coupling strength, and time delay τ, such resonances as 1:1 (with different phase locking), 2:3, 1:2, 2:5, 1:3, 1:4, as well as complex oscillations and oscillatory death are observed.

New type of excitatory pulse coupling of chemical oscillators via inhibitor

A new type of excitatory pulse coupling of two chemical oscillators via a short interruption of inhibitor inflow is introduced.

Cross-frequency synchronization of oscillators with time-delayed coupling

We carry out theoretical and experimental studies of cross-frequency synchronization of two pulse oscillators with time-delayed coupling. In the theoretical part of the paper we utilize the concept of phase resetting curves and analyze the system dynamics in the case of weak coupling. We construct a Poincaré map and obtain the synchronization zones in the parameter space for m:n synchronization. To challenge the theoretical results we designed an electronic circuit implementing the coupled oscillators and studied its dynamics experimentally. We show that the developed theory predicts dynamical properties of the realistic system, including location of the synchronization zones and bifurcations inside them.