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Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators

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Electrically Driven Artificial Muscles Using Novel Polysiloxane Elastomers Modified with Nitroaniline Push-Pull

Elena Perju^1,2, Sergiu Shova², Dorina M Opris¹

¹Laboratory for Functional Polymers, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Empa, Ueberlandstr. 129, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|April 29, 2020

Summary

Researchers developed new dielectric elastomers with enhanced muscle-like actuation. These nitroaniline-modified silicones offer high dielectric permittivity and excellent mechanical properties for advanced applications.

Keywords:

actuators artificial muscles dielectric constant dielectric permittivity dielectrics electroresponsive polymers flexible electronics polymeric materials stimuli-responsive materials structure−property relationships

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Dielectric Materials

Background:

Dielectric elastomers are crucial for muscle-like actuation but require high electric fields.
Silicone elastomers with polar side groups offer high polarizability, ideal for dielectric applications.
Incorporating polar groups like nitroaniline (NA) into silicones is challenging but key to enhancing dielectric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize polysiloxane elastomers with a high fraction of nitroaniline (NA) polar groups.
To achieve enhanced dielectric permittivity and muscle-like actuation at low electric fields.
To develop advanced dielectric elastomers for next-generation soft robotics and electronic skin.

Main Methods:

Two distinct synthetic strategies were employed to incorporate nitroaniline into polysiloxane networks.
Homogenous elastomers were formed at the molecular level, confirmed by material analysis.
Characterization included dielectric permittivity measurements, mechanical testing (viscoelastic losses, strain at break), and electromechanical actuation tests.

Main Results:

Synthesized yellowish elastomers exhibit a dielectric permittivity three times higher than previously reported NA-modified silicones.
Materials possess excellent mechanical properties, including low viscoelastic losses and a 300% strain at break.
Achieved an 8% actuation strain at a low electric field of 7.5 V/μm, demonstrating significant muscle-like performance.

Conclusions:

The developed polysiloxane elastomers offer a unique combination of high dielectric permittivity, superior mechanical properties, and efficient low-field actuation.
Tunable mechanical properties via cross-linker content allow for versatile material design.
These elastomers are promising for applications in artificial muscles, soft robots, sensors, and electronic skin.