Fast fully plastic actuator based on ionic-liquid-based bucky gel

Abstract

In previous papers, we reported the first dry actuator that can be fabricated simply by layer-by-layer casting, using 'bucky gel', a gelatinous room-temperature ionic liquid containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The actuator has a bimorph configuration with a polymer-supported internal ionic liquid electrolyte layer sandwiched by polymer-supported bucky-gel electrode layers, which allow quick and long-lived operation in air at low applied voltages. In this paper, some of the recent developments of the actuator performance are reported.