Smart actuators based on electromechanically active conjugated polymer diodes

Gilles Dennler; Reinhard Schwodiauer; Christoph Lungenschmied; Siegfried Bauer; Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci; Howard Reiss

doi:10.1117/12.599358

6 May 2005 Smart actuators based on electromechanically active conjugated polymer diodes

Gilles Dennler, Reinhard Schwodiauer, Christoph Lungenschmied, Siegfried Bauer, Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci, Howard Reiss

Proceedings Volume 5759, Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD); (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599358
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Conjugated polymers are nowadays used in two different types of device. On the one hand, they act as electronically active semiconducting/conducting materials in organic electronic devices. On the other hand, one exploits them as electromechanically active materials since it has been observed that they can experience huge macroscopic strains upon electrochemical doping. We investigated the combination of these two effects by measuring the electromechanical behavior of typical polymeric electronic devices like rectifying (and/or light emitting) diodes. In the case of a poly(para phenylene vinylene) (MDMO-PPV) based diodes, we observed two types of electromechanical actuation. In the forward direction, a significant current (up to several mA/cm²) is flowing. Joule heating induces a thermo-electrostrictive bending of the device substrate. In the reverse direction, the diode behaves like a capacitor. Therefore the strains are induced by Maxwell forces. For poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) (P3HT) based diodes, displacement versus voltage in the reverse direction revealed a power law with an exponent of 1.5. This surprising result can be modeled by Coulombic attraction of the doped impurities present in the depletion zone and the charges present in the metal at the interface.

Citation Download Citation

Gilles Dennler, Reinhard Schwodiauer, Christoph Lungenschmied, Siegfried Bauer, Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci, and Howard Reiss "Smart actuators based on electromechanically active conjugated polymer diodes", Proc. SPIE 5759, Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD), (6 May 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.599358

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