A device for testing the electronic and mechanical properties of conducting polymers with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

Conducting polymers have the potential to serve the technical and commercial communities with novel actuators, sensors, and biomimetic devices. The conjugated structures of these polymers and the addition of dopants enable conduction. [1] One current goal in the conducting polymer field is to observe and understand the events by which these polymers carryout their active mechanical functions (contraction and expansion) upon the application of a potential. This thesis presents the design and a prototype of a new device for investigating the relationship between the mechanical and electronic properties of conducting polymers with EPR Spectroscopy. The performance of the testing device was explored with a controlled experiment. The results of this experiment suggest that the response of conducting polymer actuators to mechanical inputs can be examined with EPR Spectroscopy.