Abstract
Featuring controllable electrochemomechanical deformation and excellent biocompatibility, polypyrrole electroactuators used as artificial muscles play a vital role in the design of biomimetic robots and biomedical devices. In the past decade, tremendous efforts have been devoted to their optimization on electroactivity, electrochemical stability, and actuation speed, thereby gradually filling the gaps between desired capabilities and practical performances. This review summarizes recent advances on polypyrrole electroactuators, with particular emphases on novel counterions and conformation-reinforcing skeletons. Progress and challenges are comparatively demonstrated and critically analyzed, to enlighten future developments of advanced electroactuators based on polypyrrole and other conducting polymers.
Highlights
Electroactive polymers have attracted ever increasing interests in driving biomedical devices [1,2,3,4], microactuators [5,6], and biomimetic robots [7,8,9,10]
Gaihre et al compared the electroactivity of different conducting polymers (CPs) electroactuators doped with the same counterion bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI− ) and found that PPy/TFSI significantly outperformed other CPs like PEDOT/TFSI and PProDOT/TFSI [17]
Inspired by Polyethylene glycol (PEG)’s advantages and capability of forming an ionic complex with certain types of small ions, which as a whole can function as the doping counterion, we recently developed a series of PPy/polyol-borate composite films where long polyol chains or networks, such as PEG, polycaprolactone-block-polytetrahydrofuran-block-polycaprolactone (PCTC), or pentaerythritol ethoxylate (PEE), bridged by the borate groups were interwoven with the PPy chains during electropolymerization [20,73,74]
Summary
Electroactive polymers have attracted ever increasing interests in driving biomedical devices [1,2,3,4], microactuators [5,6], and biomimetic robots [7,8,9,10]. CP electroactuators achieve mechanical deformation under electric fields via induced ion exchanges with their surrounding electrolyte and can operate at a relatively low voltage below 2 V in various ambient conditions [16] In this class, PPy electroactuators stand out due to their capability of producing more significant strain and stress. The demands for versatile PPy electroactuators featuring high electroactivity and durability are intense in many fields including biomedical devices, flexible electronics and batteries [18,19,20,21] In this past decade, tremendous efforts have been devoted to the optimization of PPy electroactuators for enhanced electrochemical stability, actuation speed, mechanical strength, and, most importantly, output strain and stress [15,20,21].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
