Molecular actuators, and methods of use thereof

US7658868B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · US
• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Patrick Armand Anquetil · Brookline, US
• Ian W. Hunter · Lincoln, US
• John Madden · Vancouver, CA
• Peter Madden · Burlington, US
• Anthony Pullen · Tucson, US
• Timothy M. Swager · Newton, US
• Bing Xu · Newton, US
• Hsiao-Hua Yu · Saitama, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 21, 2006
• Grant date: Feb 9, 2010
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E10/549
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The synthesis of thiophene based conducting polymer molecular actuators, exhibiting electrically triggered molecular conformational transitions is reported. Actuation is believed to be the result of conformational rearrangement of the polymer backbone at the molecular level, not simply ion intercalation in the bulk polymer chain upon electrochemical activation. Molecular actuation results from π-π stacking of thiophene oligomers upon oxidation, producing a reversible molecular displacement that leads to surprising material properties, such as electrically controllable porosity and large strains. The existence of active molecular conformational changes is supported by in situ electrochemical data. Single molecule techniques have been used to characterize the molecular actuators.