Development, Characterization and Electromechanical Actuation Behavior of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite Actuator based on Sulfonated Poly(1,4-phenylene ether-ether-sulfone)/Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

This paper presents the development of new cost-effective hybrid-type sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene ether-ether-sulfone) (SPEES) and functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) based actuators produced by the film-casting method followed by chemical reduction of Pt ions as electrodes. The preparation of SPEES was investigated in details and sulfonation of polymer was characterized by ion exchange capacity (IEC), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and degree of sulfonation measurements. SPEES having degree of sulfonation of 126% was blended with SWNT and used to fabricate IPMC actuator. The chemical composition and detailed structure of SPEES-SWNT ionic polymer membranes were confirmed by FTIR, EDX and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed the homogeneously distributed layers of Pt electrodes on the surfaces of IPMC membrane. The electrochemical and electromechanical properties of SPEES-SWNT-Pt-based IPMC actuator shows a better actuation performance than conventional IPMC actuators in terms of higher IEC, Proton conductivity, higher current density, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and large bending deflection. The robust, flexible and mechanically strong membranes prepared by the synergistic combination of SPEES and SWNT may have considerable potential as actuator materials for robotic and biomimetic applications.

A comprehensive review of the structures and properties of ionic polymeric materials

“…Khan et al chose poly(1,4-phenylene ether-ether sulfone) (containing no fluorine unlike Nafion®) to design ionic polymer-metal composite actuators, showing large and fast deformation in response to electrical stimuli for artificial muscle applications. 176,177 With sulfonatefunctionalized chitosan, Jeon et al developed a biobased actuator by optimizing ionic interactions among chitosan, the ionic liquid and graphene oxide (Fig. 22).…”

Soft Actuator Materials for Electrically Driven Haptic Interfaces

“…Reproduced under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). [ 193 ] Copyright 2018, the authors. Published by Springer Nature.…”

“…[ 192 ] Recently, Khan et al developed a sulfonated poly(1,4‐phenylene ether‐ether‐sulfone) (SPEES) polymer membrane with functionalized SWCNT. [ 193 ] The aromatic linkages in PEES provide rigidity and strength to the polymer membrane, whereas ether linkages improve the processability of PEES. [ 193 ] The synergy of functionalized SWCNT and high degree of sulfonation in SPEES resulted in enhanced IEC and proton conductivity, improving ion transport, which leads to greater actuation performances and speeds.…”

“…[ 193 ] The aromatic linkages in PEES provide rigidity and strength to the polymer membrane, whereas ether linkages improve the processability of PEES. [ 193 ] The synergy of functionalized SWCNT and high degree of sulfonation in SPEES resulted in enhanced IEC and proton conductivity, improving ion transport, which leads to greater actuation performances and speeds. [ 193 ] Nguyen and coworkers presented a block copolymer of polystyrene and poly(1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium‐4‐styrenesulfonate) in an ionic liquid electrolyte (Figure 7D), which was shown to possess fast and large actuation displacements at ultralow voltage with high cyclic performance (14000 cycles).…”

A hybrid electro-responsive SWNT/PEDOT: PSS-based membrane towards soft actuator applications

“…1,7–15 IPMCs consist of composite polymer film sandwiched by two metal electrode films that exhibit larger deformation, high durability, and fast response with a low driving voltage (1–5 V). 16 However, IPMC actuators have some restrictions to be employed for different robotic applications due to moderate stability and repeatability of electrode performance and low actuation forces. Moreover, an expensive and time-consuming chemical reduction process for the deposition of novel metal electrode layers on intermediate electrolyte membrane surfaces is generally necessary for the development of IPMCs.…”