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.