Abstract
Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are an advanced family of polymers that change their shape through electric stimulation and have been a point of interest since their inception. This unique functionality has helped EAPs to contribute to versatile fields, such as electrical, biomedical, and robotics, to name a few. Ionic EAPs have a significant advantage over electronic EAPs. For example, Ionic EAPs require a lower voltage to activate than electronic EAPs. On the other hand, electronic EAPs could generate a relatively larger actuation force. Therefore, efforts have been focused on improving both kinds to achieve superior properties. In this review, the synthesis routes of different EAP-based actuators and their properties are discussed. Moreover, their mechanical interactions have been investigated from a tribological perspective as all these EAPs undergo surface interactions. Such interactions could reduce their useful life and need significant research attention for enhancing their life. Recent advancements and numerous applications of EAPs in various sectors are also discussed in this review.
Highlights
Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are a versatile class of electrically deformable polymers.These polymers have the ability to deform when excited by electrical potentials [1] due to their inherent electro-mechanical properties [2]
The piezoelectric couplings in EAPs provide them with unique capabilities that are of significant interest in actuators and soft robotics [3]
The unique functionalities of electroactive polymers have motivated a large amount of research that spans many engineering fields
Summary
Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are a versatile class of electrically deformable polymers. The piezoelectric couplings in EAPs provide them with unique capabilities that are of significant interest in actuators and soft robotics [3] Their ability to transform an electrical stimulus into a mechanical response has the potential to develop biocompatible artificial muscles. It is possible to coat an object with an EAP-based material to change its external properties [13] These modifications can lead to an increase in the electrochemical capacitance, corrosion protection, stabilization of oxide surfaces, and variations of the friction coefficient. Within this forecast period, materials such as polythiophenes, polyanilines, polypyrroles, and polyacetylenes are going to lead the market of EAP [14] These are different types of ionic EAPs, known as inherently conductive polymers. The recent progress and challenges of both ionic and electronic EAPs are highlighted based on the state-of-art literature
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