INTRODUCTION, HISTORY, AND PRINCIPLES

The principles behind electrochemomechanical and chemomechanical actuation using CPs are fairly simple CPs are well known to swell on doping (which means electrochemical or chemical oxidation for most CPs, which are p-type). This increases volume at least ca. 35% according to measurable parameters, and probably quite a bit more. Thus, if a bilayer of a CP and another substance which is flexible but does not swell or contract is created, electrochemical or chemical redox of the 

CP will lead to bending of this bilayer. The intricacies of this sort of actuation are however more complex, as seen in the sequel. 

The reasons for the choice of the defining words should then also be obvious Electrochemomechanical implies an applied potential which leads to a chemical redox, which in turn leads to a mechanical deformation. Electrochemomechanical in our context is then simply a short form for electrochemomechanical. And Chemomechanical implies we skip the electrical (applied potential) step and effect redox of the CP by direct chemical means. 

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