Inkjet‐printed hybrid conducting polymer-activated carbon aerogel linear actuators driven in an organic electrolyte

Abstract

A novel trilayer ionic electro-chemo-mechanical actuator consisting of a 5-μm thick hybrid conducting polymer (CP) poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and nanoporous activated carbon aerogel (ACA) electrodes printed on a commercial poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) membrane is reported. Recent studies have introduced hybrid CP-carbon bending and expanding actuators with the aim of enhancing the capacitive properties and energy efficiency of the actuator. The current study is focused on characterizing the ion‐transport properties of the material and determining the effect of nanoporous carbon in hybrid actuators. To analyze the ion diffusion and electro-chemo-mechanical properties of the trilayer, electro-chemo-mechanical deformation (ECMD) measurements were conducted in linear actuation mode, connecting both sides of the trilayer as the working electrode in an electrolyte setup. While the PEDOT:PSS trilayer shows nearly double the strain of the PEDOT:PSS-ACA trilayer, the stress is higher in the case of PEDOT:PSS-ACA. Despite the decreased strain [1], ACA incorporation in PEDOT:PSS results in faster ion transport and also adds anion migration to the otherwise cation‐active actuation of PEDOT:PSS. This work shows, for the first time, the potential of inkjet print fabrication of CP-carbon aerogel hybrid actuators.