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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.

We have fabricated and examined silica gel beads loaded with a catalyst of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chloride, Ru(bpy)3Cl2, the BZ beads. The abilities of silica gel and the widely used ion-exchange resin (Dowex 50WX2) BZ beads to oscillate in a catalyst-free BZ solution are compared. The period of the BZ oscillations increases with an increase in the diameter (40-250 μm) of both types of the BZ beads. The ability of the ion-exchange resin beads to hold catalyst molecules significantly decreases with a decrease in pH, while this value is less dependent on pH for the silica gel BZ beads. The diffusive coupling of two BZ beads separated by either aqueous or oil gaps is studied as well. For the aqueous gap less than 100 μm, the BZ beads of both types demonstrate in-phase synchronization. For the oil phase, the Dowex BZ beads are unable to oscillate for a long enough time and therefore cannot be synchronized, while the silica gel BZ beads are able to oscillate for several hours and demonstrate anti-phase synchronization for gaps less than 40 μm.

A system of micro-spheres immersed in a water-in-oil microemulsion (ME) is studied both theoretically and experimentally. A catalyst for the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction is immobilized in the micro-spheres, which are called BZ micro-oscillators (BZ MOs). The ME is loaded with all the reagents of the BZ reaction, except the catalyst. Fresh BZ reagents in the ME constantly feed BZ MOs. Diffusively coupled BZ MOs in this system demonstrate excitatory coupling at short gaps and inhibitory coupling at long gaps between BZ MOs. The critical gap, at which the transition between excitatory and inhibitory types of coupling occurs, depends on both the BZ concentration and the size of the ME nanodroplets and can range from a few to tens of micrometers. Different oscillatory patterns of BZ MOs with in-phase and anti-phase oscillations of neighboring BZ MOs have been found. Turing patterns are found as well. A network of such BZ MOs can be used for the creation of a chemical computer.