Applications of Electroactive Polymers

Electroactive polymers have been the object of increasing academic and industrial interest and in the past ten to fifteen years substantial progress has been achieved in the development and the characterization of this important new class of conducting materials. These materials are usually classified in two large groups, according to the mode of their electric transport. One group includes polymers having transport almost exclusively of the ionic type and they are often called 'polymer electrolytes' or, in a broader way, 'polymer ionics'. The other group includes polymeric materials where the transport mechanism is mainly electronic in nature and which are commonly termed 'conducting polymers'. Ionically conducting polymers or polymer ionics may be typically described as polar macromolecular solids in which one or more of a wide range of salts has been dissolved. The most classic example is the combina­ tion of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, and lithium salts, LiX. These PEO-LiX polymer ionics were first described and proposed for applications just over ten years ago. The practical relevance of these new materials was im­ mediately recognized and in the course of a few years the field expanded tremendously with the involvement of many academic and industrial lab­ oratories. Following this diversified research activity, the ionic transport mechanism in polymer ionics was soon established and this has led to the development of new host polymers of various types, new salts and advanced polymer architectures which have enabled room temperature conductivity to be raised by several orders of magnitude.

This book represents a very comprehensive discussion of certain aspects of electroactive polymers and concentrates primarily on the way in which these materials may be used for specific applications...This book will find itself on the shelf of people interested in these areas of application. It is well written and is good value for money - Reactive Polymers; The style of presentation is clear and factual throughout. The level of presentation makes the book particularly useful for newcomers in the field, at the same time it provides a valuable opportunity for scientists, engineers and general readers who are interested in the latest applications of electroactive polymers, to become acquainted with critical views and the visions of leading experts in a rapidly expanding field...the book is well written and quite enjoyable to read...holds the promise of being a good starting point to chemists who wish to inititate research in a new fascinating area, and is recommended as a very useful and timely review volume - Journal of Materials Chemistry; This interesting volume is focused mainly on the applications (actual and potential) of these two classes of materials, but includes introductory chapters which offer some insight into their nature and properties...a timely book and Bruno Scrosati deserves congratulations for organising such authoritative chapters by key figures in the field...a most useful and up-to-date text - Polymer International