New BCMaterials book on advances in dielectric electroactive polymers

The Royal Society of Chemistry has published “Dielectric Electroactive Polymers: Principles and Applications”, a volume co-edited by Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez, Scientific Director of BCMaterials, and Carlos Miguel Costa, from the University of Minho (Portugal), as part of the Polymer Chemistry Series.

Dielectric electroactive polymers are materials that respond to electrical stimuli: they can deform, store energy or generate electrical signals. This versatility makes them relevant for the development of sensors, actuators, artificial muscles and energy storage systems.

The book provides an overview of the different types of these materials, their fundamental principles and their functional response. It brings together established concepts with the most recent advances in materials, processing techniques and applications. With contributions from specialists at institutions around the world, it spans from basic science to uses in electronics, energy storage, biomedicine and tissue engineering.

The volume also addresses the environmental implications of some of these polymers, in particular those related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as strategies to mitigate them. This is a relevant aspect for future regulation and for the sustainable design of new materials.

Besides co-editing the volume, Lanceros-Méndez co-authored several of its chapters, including the introduction and the conclusions.

The book was published in August 2026. DOI: 10.1039/9781837678150