Santa Fe Science & Technology, Inc.

Wen Lu

Benjamin R Mattes

Elisabeth Smela

Andrei G Fadeev

Guido Zuccarello

Phillip N Adams

Baohua Qi

Philip N Adams

A linear electrochemical actuator is described where at least one electrically conductive (between 400 and 1000 S/cm), doped polyaniline solid fiber or a yarn produced from such fibers is disposed in an electrolyte inside of a electrically conductive polyaniline hollow fiber, thereby allowing 2-electrode operation without a metal backing. This is an example of the electrochemical devices of the present invention having a solid-in-hollow polymer fiber configuration. In a propylene carbonate electrolyte, the electrochemical and actuation behavior of the fibers was found to be influenced by the solubility and size of the polymer dopants. That is, solubility of the dopant in the electrolyte resulted in high electroactivity and strain in the fibers. Actuation of fibers was also affected by electrolyte anions, small anions resulting in anion-exchange dominated actuation, while large anions resulted in cation-exchange dominated actuation. Isotonic strains of 0.9% and isometric stresses of 0.9 MPa were realized for the solid-in-hollow polyaniline fiber actuators.

Solid-in-hollow polymer fiber electrochemical devices

The present invention includes the preparation of highly conducting conjugated polymers and their use as electrochemical actuators, A typical electrochemical actuator comprises a highly conducting, conjugated polymer for the anode or the cathode, or for both the anode and the cathode; suitable conjugate polymers have a conductivity &#x2267;100 S/cm. The material may have any form, including films and fibers. A preferred shape is a strip or a fiber, where the fiber can be solid or hollow, although any shape may be used. Before use, the material may be treated, for example, by immersion in an acid, in order to dope/protonate the material or to introduce anions or to exchange the anion in the polymer for another anion. Other materials may be incorporated in the polyaniline to increase its conductivity or to provide other benefits, such as increased strength. Useful conducting polymers include monomers of anilines, pyrroles, thiophenes, phenylene vinylenes, and derivatives thereof.

Electrochemical devices incorporating high-conductivity conjugated polymers

The present invention relates to the electrochemistry of conjugated polymers in ionic liquids and the development and fabrication of long-lived, highly stable conjugated polymer electrochemical devices by using ionic liquids as electrolytes. More specially, the invention relates to the use of ionic liquids as electrolytes for the fabrication of long-lived, highly stable electrochemical actuators, electrochemical capacitors and electrochemical batteries having conjugated polymers as active electrodes as well as for the fabrication of long-lived, highly stable electrochromic devices with polyaniline and polythiophene as coloration materials.

Long-lived conjugated polymer electrochemical devices incorporating ionic liquids

Electrochemical synthesis of conjugated polymers in ionic liquids, achievement of electroactivity and electrochroism of conjugated polymers in ionic liquids, and the use of the resulting conjugated polymers for the fabrication of electrochromic devices incorporating ionic liquids as electrolytes are described.

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Santa Fe, NM, United States of America

Wen Lu