Electrochemically-induced fluid movement using polypyrrole

Initial studies on inherently conducting polymer-coated surfaces show that the surface energy can be controlled by electrochemically switching the polymer's oxidation state. This surface energy change was then used to induce fluidic movement in a 700 μm wide polymethylmethacrylate channel coated with a polypyrrole layer doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonate anions. By applying a reducing potential to the polymer-coated channel, electrolyte solution was seen to move along the channel.