Coulovoltammetric and Dynamovoltammetric Responses from Conducting Polymers and Bilayer Muscles as Tools to Identify Reaction-driven Structural Changes. A review

Coulovoltammetric (charge-potential) responses to potential cycles are reviewed here as a powerful tool for the characterization of reaction-driven structural changes (conformational relaxation, swelling, shrinking, conformational compaction, formation/destruction of lamellar or vacuolar structures) altogether oxidation and reduction inertial processes in self-supported, or coating metals, electrodes of conducting polymers. Potential domains and charges consumed by each reaction-driven structural process can be determined. They also provide a net separation and quantification of charges consumed by simultaneous reversible and irreversible reactions in the same potential range. Coulovoltammetric and parallel dynamovoltammetric (angle-potential) responses from bilayer artificial muscles, being the active layer a conducting polymer, are reviewed here as tools for the clarification of the: exchanged ions, solvent and electrolyte influence on those exchanges, presence of osmotic and electroosmotic processes and number of solvent molecules exchanged per reaction unit. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.