Dielectric
elastomer actuators (DEA) were widely applied in the
field of sensors, artificial muscles, and microrobotics as they can
convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. In this work, we
have designed strawberry-like barium titanate/tannic acid-ferric ion/silver
(denoted as BT/TA-FeIII/Ag) dielectric nanoparticles to
improve the electromechanical performance of natural rubber (NR)-based
composites. In the first instance, BT nanoparticles were modified
by TA by introducing catechol- and pyrogallol-type phenols, which
can be complexed with FeIII to form a coating of TA-FeIII on the surface of the BT nanoparticles (denoted as BT/TA-FeIII). Then, Ag nanoparticles were deposited on the surface
of BT/TA-FeIII by the reduced Ag+ via an electroless
plating method. The addition of BT/TA-FeIII/Ag nanoparticles
in the NR matrix enhanced the electromechanical sensitivity of NR-based
composites and thus increased the actuation strain of NR-based composites.
In addition, the discontinuous silver layer deposited on the surface
of BT/TA-FeIII/Ag nanoparticles maintained good insulation
of NR-based composites. In the final step, a high actuation strain
(15.3%) was achieved by NR-based composites filled with 10 phr BT/TA-FeIII/Ag at a low electrical field (62.2 kV/mm), which was about
2.2 fold larger than the actuation strain of the pure NR (about 7.0%
at 54.7 kV/mm). Overall, this strategy could provide insights for
the preparation of dielectric elastomers with high actuation strain
driven by a low voltage.
A combination of bio-inspired poly(dopamine) deposition and silane grafting is proposed to functionalize bariumtitanate to improve the electromechanical properties of silicone dielectric elastomers.
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