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International audienceThe synthesis of one-piece electronic conducting interpenetrating polymer networks is proposed as an alternative to multilayer architectures for the design of electroactive devices. The electronic conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as active component was symmetrically distributed in a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) matrix based on poly(ethylene oxide) which was subsequently swollen with either LiClO4 or an ionic liquid. Depending on the composition and the crosslinking density of the SPEs, the ionic conductivities vary between 0.9 × 10−3 and 2.2 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 30 °C. Controlling the PEDOT content from 0.3 to 12 wt% in the material, electrochromic, electroemissive or electromechanical properties are obtained. Typical transmissive and reflective contrast values reach 33 and 27% at 630 and 2500 nm, respectively, for free-standing films upon application of a 1.2 V bias voltage. Both bending and linear actuating devices were developed as beam-shaped or hollow fibres. The actuation occurs under low applied voltage up to 4 V and the output force ranges from 50 to 300 mN. In all cases the electroactive properties are stable over 10 000 (electroemissivity) to 3.5 × 106 (actuation) cycles in open air providing an ionic liquid is used as electrolyte

A polydomain cholesteric elastomer was obtained by cross-linking a nematic side-chain polysiloxane in the presence of a chiral dopant. After extraction of the chiral dopant, sorption experiments were performed, by the use of an electronic microbalance, in the presence of each enantiomer of a chiral amine molecule. The sorption kinetics corresponds to a Fickian diffusion behavior. They allowed us to determine the diffusion coefficients and to show that the doped polymer has a more pronounced affinity toward one of the enantiomers.

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