Breaking the symmetry of chemical systems with bipolar electrochemistry:

from materials science to motion

Alexander Kuhn

University of Bordeaux, ENSCBP, 16 avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac, France

kuhn@enscbp.fr

The use of strong electric fields to break the symmetry of chemical systems has led, among others, to the concept of bipolar electrochemistry. This approach has been adapted in the past to many different experimental systems, including electrochemistry on microobjects. The topic undergoes currently a renaissance in various scientific domains, with applications ranging from analytical chemistry to materials science. In this contribution we’ll illustrate some of the most recent advances, either concerning the highly controlled wireless electrochemical modification of micro- and nanoobjects, or with respect to the design of dynamic systems, that are able to show different functionalities.