Wireless Electromechanical Fluorophore Release From Soft Polymer Actuators

ABSTRACT Wireless actuation of conducting polymers represents an emerging approach for developing multifunctional soft devices that couple electrical, mechanical, and optical responses. In this work, a polypyrrole‐based composite incorporating a π‐conjugated fluorophore (2’,7’‐bis([2,2’‐bithiophen]‐5‐yl)fluorene) is designed to achieve simultaneous electromechanical deformation and fluorescence emission under bipolar electrochemical stimulation. The composite films are produced by electropolymerization, resulting in a homogeneous fluorophore distribution. The electromechanically driven dye release is confirmed by in situ spectroscopic measurements, which show a direct correlation between fluorescence intensity and the applied external electric field. The optical response of the device enables mapping of the electroactivity of the bipolar electrode via a dual dynamic/light‐emitting readout under the influence of alternating electric fields. This study demonstrates a straightforward strategy to achieve a double readout of physicochemical information based on actuation and light emission with soft actuators, making them useful for the design of novel, advanced multimodal sensing systems.