Energy-Transducing Reaction in Biologyical Members. I. Energy Transduction in Ion- and Electron-Exchange Polymers

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental studies of the properties of rubbers, and of ion-and electron-exchange polymers, show that mechanical deformation, the application of heat, adsorbing solvent or solute molecules onto the polymer chains, or changing the crosslinking alters the free energy changes of interactions occurring at ion-exchange, electron-exchange, or other adsorption sites of the polymer as a result of changing a dilation-contractile equilibrium, and provides means for the inter-conversion of mechanical, heat, osmotic, and chemical energies. In all these processes polymer entropy changes participate in the overall free energy changes of the system.