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Wireless Electrochemical Actuation of Conducting Polymers
Author(s) -
Gupta Bhavana,
Goudeau Bertrand,
Kuhn Alexander
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201709038
Subject(s) - electrochemistry , polypyrrole , polymer , electrolyte , materials science , electrode , conductive polymer , actuator , bilayer , wireless , nanotechnology , artificial muscle , bending , asymmetry , chemical engineering , chemical physics , chemistry , computer science , composite material , membrane , physics , polymerization , telecommunications , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , engineering
Electrochemical actuation of conducting polymers usually requires a direct connection to an electric power supply. In this contribution, we suggest to overcome this issue by using the concept of bipolar electrochemistry. This allows changing the oxidation state of the polymer in a gradual and wireless way. Free‐standing polypyrrole films were synthesized with an intrinsic morphological asymmetry of their two faces in order to form a bilayer structure. Immersing such objects in an electrolyte solution and exposing them to a potential gradient leads to the asymmetric oxidation/reduction of the polymer, resulting in differential shrinking and swelling along the main axis. This additional asymmetry is responsible for a structural deformation. Optimization allowed highly efficient bending, which is expected to open up completely new directions in the field of actuation due to the wireless mode of action.