An enhancement for actuation properties of biocompatible electro‐active paper

Abstract

Recently, chitosan is discovered as a most abundant natural polymer, which is not only a lightweight, low‐cost, sustainable resource with potentials in energy transformation, but also biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this article, they investigated a highly biocompatible chitosan‐based electro‐active polymer (C‐Polymer) actuator composed of multiwall carbon nanotube, ionic liquid, and polymer‐supported chitosan. As a result, after the changed MCNTs rate (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) in the electrode membrane, actuation properties of C‐polymer actuator behaved a great enhancement. With the increase of the ratio of MCNTs, the specific capacitance and the electrode resistance were obviously improved, which were 2.02 F/g and 1.32 Ω under rate of 80%, and the maximum displacement and the response speed behaved a peak value of 7 mm (80%) and 0.032 mm/s (80%). Interestingly, it also showed an increasing for the maximum blocking force and response speed under the ratio of 80%, which presented the maximum value of 6.80 mN and 0.11 mN/s. In order to analyze causes for this enhancement, a valid generated strain values were calculated to evaluate the strain on the electrode layer. However, it is exhibited that the generated strain was very small, which almost kept in the value of 0.5%, and it was unrelated to Young's modulus. Moreover, they also found that the resistance and the specific capacitance could strongly affect the electromechanical properties of C‐polymer actuator with different rate of MCNTs, and revealed a vital potential Ramsay rule between the electrochemical properties and electromechanical properties of C‐polymer actuator. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E228–E235, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

A bio‐gel electric actuator prepared from tannic acid and carboxymethyl cellulose by green cross‐linking process with good output performance

“…Under the strong electrostatic action between the polymer chains of carboxymethyl chitosan and CMC, a crosslinking reaction takes place to form the gel structure, and tannic acid makes the internal structure more uniform. [ 30–32 ] Once charged with electricity, stimulated by the external electric field, the +NH 3 at the end of carboxymethyl chitosan moves directionally and accumulates to the negative electrode, while the polyanions (COO − ) cannot move because they are connected to the skeleton of polymer chain. Hence, under the applied DC electric field, the interface of the negative electrode will expand with the enrichment of cations, and the sample will bend to the positive electrode of the external power supply under the superposition of electrostatic repulsion between ion migration.…”

Electroactive Polymers Obtained by Conventional and Non-Conventional Technologies

“…Chitosan, a chitin derivative, is the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose and also is the unique naturally occurring polycationic polysaccharide. Moreover, CS has been employed in developing ionic EAPs as polymer actuators and artificial muscles [ 16 , 54 ] due to its easy processability, low cost, ionic conductivity, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity.…”

“…Sun et al developed electroactive and biocompatible chitosan-based electro actuators presenting fast response and performance [ 54 ]. Chitosan-based actuators loaded with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF4) IL electrolyte sandwiched by MWCNT layers were prepared by solvent casting.…”

“…A linear relationship was observed during electro-actuation experiments between the MWCNT content in the electrode layers and the bending magnitude. Higher amounts of MWCNT (80%) resulted in higher conductivities which induced higher and faster ion diffusion (from IL and protonated chitosan counter ions) within the polymeric matrix that ultimately resulted in higher (up to ~7x greater) electromechanical displacement with faster (up to ~3x faster) response time [ 54 ].…”