Information-processing capabilities of chemical reaction–diffusion systems. 1. Belousov–Zhabotinsky media in hydrogel matrices and on solid supports

Promising potentialities are opened up by the use of polymer materials for the elaboration of information-processing devices based on reaction–diffusion media. In this work, features of image processing by Belousov–Zhabotinsky media formed on the basis of hydrogel matrices and using catalyst immobilisation on the surface of solid supports have been investigated. Such active media structures have been found to improve significantly the quality of images in the course of their processing by the media. The spatial resolution of the media increases considerably in going from liquid Belousov–Zhabotinsky media and media functioning in polymer matrices to media based on catalyst immobilisation on the surface of solid supports. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.