Unexpected electromechanical actuation in conjugated polymer based diodes

Abstract

Conjugated polymers are widely used as electroactive materials because of their morphological changes induced by redox cycling. But this type of materials was recently shown to induce several other electromechanical actuations. While undoped conjugated polymer based diodes undergo common Maxwell stress and electro-thermal actuation under reverse and forward polarization, respectively, devices based on doped active material exhibit an unusual type of electromechanical strain. This strain, in between piezoelectricity and electrostriction, opens new routes for material investigation and potential applications in “smart” actuators.