Air-working ionic soft actuator based on three-dimensional graphene electrode

Air-working ionic soft actuator was fabricated by hot-pressing assembly. Here, poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) was chosen as polymer matrix to support ionic liquid (IL); three-dimensional (3D) graphene/conductive polymer composite, was adopted as flexible electrode. By adjusting the morphology of 3D graphene, a series of actuators with different 3D graphene electrode were obtained. The influence of pore size of 3D graphene on actuating performance was investigated. Compared with 2D graphene actuator, 3D graphene actuators showed obviously better bending actuating performance. 3D graphene (GO 3 mg/mL) actuator showed high peak-to-peak electric induced bending displacement of 8.5 mm (3 V, 0.1 Hz). (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Air-working ionic soft actuators were fabricated by hot-pressing assembly with PVDF-HFP as the polymer matrix supporting IL and 3D graphene/conductive polymer composite as the flexible electrode. Actuators with different 3D graphene electrodes were obtained, showing better bending actuating performance compared to 2D graphene actuators. The best performing 3D graphene actuator achieved a peak-to-peak electric induced bending displacement of 8.5 mm at 3 V and 0.1 Hz.