The immobilization of dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS−) in polypyrrole (PPy) during electropolymerization is typically expected to lead to cation-driven activity. Here we demonstrate that the actuation direction changed by using same electrolyte but different solvent.

While carbide-derived carbon (CDC)-based materials have shown stable behavior in ionic electro-chemomechanical actuators, the displacement and actuation speed have remained low compared to conducting polymer-based actuators. The goal of this research was to obtain more responsive conducting polymer-CDC composite films and to investigate their linear actuation properties, comparing the stress and strain to those of polypyrrole (PPy) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS À ). The PPy-CDC hybrid films were synthesized electrochemically using polyoxometalate (POM) (phosphotungstic acid) to attach charge to the CDC particles for embedding them into the PPy matrix as secondary dopants in addition to DBS À . Cyclic voltammetry and square wave potential steps in electro-chemo-mechanical deformation (ECMD) measurements were performed in aqueous electrolyte solution, showing that the PPy-CDC hybrids had higher strain (12%) and stress (0.6 MPa) than the PPy/DBS films. The new composite was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy to evaluate the composition of these promising materials.

Either as salts or room temperature ionic liquids, fluorinated anion-based electrolytes have been a common choice for ionic electroactive polymer actuators, both linear and bending. In the present work, propylene carbonate solutions of four electrolytes of the three hugely popular anions—triflouromethanesulfonate, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide, and hexafluorophosphate were compared and evaluated in polypyrrole linear actuators. The actuation direction, the characteristics—performance relations influence the behavior of the actuators. Isotonic Electro-chemo-mechanical deformation (ECMD) measurements were performed to study the response of the PPy/DBS samples. The highest strain for pristine PPy/DBS linear actuators was found in range of 21% for LiTFSI, while TBAPF6 had the least cation involvement, suggesting the potential for application in durable and controllable actuators. Interesting cation effects on the actuation of the same anions (CF3SO3−) were also observed.

Conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) can be deposited on various substrates to obtain conductive electroactive coatings. While electrochemical coatings are generally considered to be more effective, chemical coatings are more industrially suitable, especially on complex substrates. In this work, we aimed to explore the electro‐chemo‐mechanical response of conductive fiber scaffolds (CFS) prepared by coating PPy (chemically) on glucose‐gelatin nanofibre scaffolds. Electroactivity was readily observed in both aqueous and propylene carbonate solutions of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, with mainly anion activity in both cases. A higher actuation response was achieved in the aqueous solutions with strain in the range of 1.2% and stress in the range of 3 kPa. Under both cyclic voltammetry and square wave potential steps driving, stable actuation for over 100 cycles was maintained. In addition to actuation, the CFS samples exhibited concurrent sensory properties, in sensing current densities and mechanical load. The PPy‐coated CFS material functioning as both an actuator and a sensor is envisaged to have potential applications in smart materials, soft robotics or e‐skin. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48533.

No abstract