凯发

Bio-inspired actuation materials, also called artificial muscles, have attracted great attention in recent decades for their potential application in intelligent robots, biomedical devices, and micro-electro-mechanical systems. [1] Among them, ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuator has been intensively studied for their impressive high-strain under low voltage stimulation and air-working capability. [2] 

A typical IPMC actuator is composed of one ion-conductive electrolyte membrane laminated by two electron-conductive metal electrode membranes, which can bend back and forth due to the electrode expansion and contraction induced by ion motion under alternating applied voltage. As its actuation performance is mainly dominated by electrochemical and electromechanical process of the electrode layer, the electrode material and structure become to be more crucial to higher performance. The recent discovery of two dimensional graphene and one dimensional carbon nanotube has created a revolution in functional nanomaterials. Their unique structures render them intriguing electrical and mechanical properties, which makes them ideal flexible electrode materials for IPMC actuators in stead of conventional metal electrodes (Figure 1). [3, 4] Currently although the detailed effect caused by those carbon nanomaterial electrodes is not very clear, the presented outstanding actuation performance gives us tremendous motivation to meet the challenge in understanding the mechanism and thus developing more advanced actuator materials. Therefore, in this presentation IPMC actuators prepared with different kinds of graphene based electrodes are introduced.[5-8] Key parameters which may generate important influence on actuation process are discussed in order to shed light on possible future research and application of the novel carbon nanomateials based bio-inspired electrochemical actuators.

References: 

[1] Y. Bar-Cohen (Ed.): Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuators as Artificial Muscles: Reality, Potential, and Challenges, (2nd Ed.) SPIE press, Bellingham,WA, 2004.

[2] T. Fukushima, K. Asaka, A.  Kosaka, T.  Aida, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 44 (2005) 2410.

[3] Lirong Kong, Wei Chen, Adv. Mater. 26 (2014) 1025-1043. 

[4] Luhua Lu, and Wei Chen*, Adv. Mater., 22 (2010) 3745. 

[5] Luhua Lu, Ying Hu, Jinghai Liu, and Wei Chen*, Chem. Comm., 48 (2012) 3978. 

[6] Luhua Lu, and Wei Chen*,  ACS Nano, 4 (2010) 1042.

[7] Luhua Lu, Jinghai Liu, Ying Hu, Hyacinthe Randriamahazaka, and Wei Chen*, Adv. Mater., 24 (2012) 4317. 

[8] Luhua Lu, Jinghai Liu, Ying Hu, Yuewei Zhang, Wei Chen*,  Adv. Mater., 25 (2013) 1270.