conduction and electrostriction of polymers induced by high electric fields高分子导电与电致伸缩引起的高电场.pdfVIP

Polymers 2011, 3, 51-64; doi:10.3390/polym3010051 OPEN ACCESS polymers ISSN 2073-4360 /journal/polymers Review Conduction and Electrostriction of Polymers Induced by High Electric Fields Markus Karahka and Hans Jürgen Kreuzer * Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S. B3H 3J5, Canada; E-Mail: mkarahka@dal.ca * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: h.j.kreuzer@dal.ca; Tel.: +1-902-494-6594; Fax: +1-902-494-6191. Received: 29 November 2010; in revised form: 23 December 2010 / Accepted: 24 December 2010 / Published: 27 December 2010 Abstract: After reviewing the new physics and chemistry in high electrostatic fields we use density functional theory to show that in fields around 1.5 V/Å the bandgap of polythiophene reduces to zero leading to field-induced metallization. In poly(ethylene glycol), on the other hand, such fields lead to giant electrostriction of over 20% in length. Lastly, we give two examples of field-induced polymerization: (1) the closure of sulfur molecules Sn at n = 8 is suppressed remaining linear up to n ~ 20. (2) This also happens to water which forms linear whiskers up to n ~ 11. Keywords: polythiophene; poly(ethylene glycol); sulfur polymers; water polymers 1. Introduction 6 Large electrostatic fields, much larger than the range of electric breakdown in air (F ~ 3 × 10 V/m) occur over m