Thermo-responsive self-oscillating gel: mathematical model and theoretical analysis

Abstract: Internally heated LCST thermo-responsive gels can show self-sustained swelling and collapse oscillations through feedback between temperature-induced collapse and collapse-suppressed heating. In this work, a minimal two-variable model is developed by coupling gel swelling dynamics with a lumped thermal balance. The analysis shows that stable large-amplitude oscillations are mainly controlled by global bifurcations of limit cycles, rather than by the local Hopf bifurcation. The Hopf bifurcation is subcritical in the studied parameter range, leading to a broad coexistence region where a stable fixed point and a stable limit cycle are both possible. The oscillatory behavior remains robust for different heating-gate functions, indicating that local linear instability is neither necessary nor sufficient for self-oscillation. Fast-slow analysis further shows that the oscillation period is mainly governed by the cooling rate, while the amplitude is determined by the geometry of the swelling equilibrium manifold. These results clarify the bifurcation mechanism of thermo-responsive gel oscillations and provide guidance for controlling their period, amplitude, and waveform.