Abstract
Abstract This review is intended to provide an overview of the design and fabrication of ionic liquid-based ionic electroactive polymer (IL-iEAP) transducers for advanced applications in biological and electronic fields. The iEAP is a class of smart materials that can perform sensing or actuating functions by controlling the movement of cations and anions in the active layer. This type of material can deform under low voltage stimulation and generate electrical signals when undergoing mechanical deformation because of ion redistribution. Numerous research attention has been focused on studying the deformation mechanisms and the potential for actuation, sensing, and energy harvesting applications. Compared to the traditional water-based iEAP, the non-volatile IL-iEAP delivers a wider electrochemical window and a more stable actuation performance. In this paper, the classification of iEAP with different actuation mechanisms is first outlined, followed by introducing various preparation methods including nanotechnology for IL-iEAPs, and discussing the key factors governing their actuation performance. In addition, the advanced functions of IL-iEAP in actuating and sensing, especially self-sensing in bionics and electromechanical equipment applications, are reviewed. Finally, novel nanotechnologies used for fabricating IL-iEAPs and the prospects of their microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications are discussed.
Highlights
Soft actuating polymers are smart materials that exhibit mechanical deformation in response to environmental physical or chemical stimuli
Because polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with a better piezoelectric property has been reported, researchers began to focus on ferroelectric polymer systems, which enabled the rapid development of electroactive polymers (EAPs) in the early 1970s [17] with faster response rate and higher actuation efficiency
ionic liquid-based ionic electroactive polymer (IL-iEAP) can be classified into ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC), conductive polymer (CP), and bucky gel, depending on the material used for the electrode layers
Summary
Soft actuating polymers are smart materials that exhibit mechanical deformation in response to environmental physical or chemical stimuli. A variety of iEAPs with a low operating voltage, including ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) [21], conductive polymer (CP) [22], ionic polymer gel (IPG) [23], and carbon nanotube (CNT) composite paper [24], have been developed and used in the field of smart materials and biomimetics. They are multi-layer structured, consisting of a solid electrolyte layer sandwiched between two electrode layers. The future development of the fabrication technology and potential applications of these low voltage driven soft actuators is discussed
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