An Electroactive Filter with Tunable Porosity Based on Glycolated Polythiophene

• The porosity of filters is typically fixed; thus, complex purification processes require application of multiple specialized filters. In contrast, smart filters with controllable and tunable properties enable dynamic separation in a single setup. Herein, an electroactive filter with controllable pore size is demonstrated. The electroactive filter is based on a metal mesh coated with a polythiophene polymer with ethylene glycol sidechains (p(g3T2)) that exhibit unprecedented voltage-driven volume changes. By optimizing the polymer coating on the mesh, controllable porosity during electrochemical addressing is achieved. The pores reversibly open and close, with a dynamic range of more than 95%, corresponding to over 30 mu m change of pores widths. Furthermore, the pores widths could be defined by applied potential with a 10 mu m resolution. From among hundreds of pores from different samples, about 90% of the pores could be closed completely, while only less than 1% are inactive. Finally, the electroactive filter is used to control the flow of a dye, highlighting the potential for flow control and smart filtration applications.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Elektroteknik och elektronik -- Reglerteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering -- Control Engineering (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

actuators; conjugated polymers; filters; porosities

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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