Conducting Polymers, Electrochemistry, and Biomimicking Processes

2013

Polymer Reviews

129

Electro-generations of conducting polymers are fast processes through a complex mechanism of parallel reactions giving mixed materials. The films are three-dimensional electrochemical reactors: reactive macromolecules, ions, and solvent. The film composition and its related properties reviewed here change by oxidation/reduction along several orders of magnitude under control. One reaction shifts different properties (multifunctionality). In one device several reaction driven tools, actuators and sensor, work simultaneously (full integration

“…(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17) include structural information of the reacting molecules. The polymer structure relaxes, swells, shrinks, closes, and packs driven by the reactions.…”

Section: Experimental Results Overlap Theoretical Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2) including several of the following steps: 17,37 • The monomeric oxidation and polycondensation of radical cations.…”

Section: Polymerization Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reactions Drive Structural Changes: Conformations Swellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conformational Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Biomimetic Conducting Polymers: Synthesis, Materials, Properties, Functions, and Devices

2013

Polymer Reviews

129

Exploring Brain Information Storage/Reading for Neuronal Connectivity Using Macromolecular Electrochemical Sensing Motors

Advanced Intelligent Systems

2021

Self Cite

Dense electroactive gels of conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes, constituted by multisensing macromolecular electrochemical motors, are presented herein as model materials to get a physicochemical characterization of the opening/closing cycles of ion protein channels in neurons. The conformational contracted energetic states of these macromolecular motors store both long‐term and short‐term information packages. Under a potential cycle, the energy of each ionic pulse generated during the channel opening reads the stored information, which is restored during the channel conformational closing. Simultaneously the motor actuation senses the working physical and chemical energetic conditions, transferring to the ionic pulse energy those sensing information packages. A quantitative description of the stored and read information packages is attained from basic electrochemical, mechanical, and polymeric concepts. Translated to ion channel proteins in brain dendrites, it can describe brain information storage mechanisms and the energetic information packages read and carried through each ionic pulse to the action potential. An unexplored way is opened to try to understand and describe how the different brain parts can use this information to originate brain functions. In parallel, the construction of new electrochemical devices and computers replicating biological functions will provide feedback quantitative information to decipher brain functions.

The Energy Consumed by Electrochemical Molecular Machines as Self‐Sensor of the Reaction Conditions: Origin of Sensing Nervous Pulses and Asymmetry in Biological Functions

Beaumont

2018

ChemElectroChem

For reactions involving molecular machines (artificial or biochemical), the evolution of the reaction energy, or that of any of its components, adapts to and senses the working thermal, chemical, or mechanical conditions. Here, the state of the art and the attained sensing equations of the oxidation/reduction of conducting polymers seen as replicating materials and reactions of the intracellular matrix of functional cells (molecular machines, ions and water) are reviewed. The adapting reaction energy in actuating muscles and other organs can originate the nervous pulses translating its quantitative energetic information (thermal, fatigue state and mechanical) to the brain. Besides, reversible oxidation/reduction charges originate a great asymmetry of the consumed reaction energies, which could explain why evolution has selected and improved the most efficient of the two reactions to drive full asymmetric biological functions such as muscle contraction or the flow of nervous signals. The material reaction drives volume variations and energetic adaptation, two simultaneous functions that have allowed the development of artificial sensing‐muscles postulated to replicate some primitive artificial proprioception.