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Polypyrrole Polyethylene Composite for Controllable Linear Actuators in Different Organic Electrolytes
Nguyen Quang Khuyen1, Ngoc Tuan Nguyen2, Rudolf Kiefer1
1Conducting Polymers in Composites and Applications Research Group, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 21, 2022
Summary
Polymer actuators made with polypyrrole and polyethylene oxide (PPy-PEO) show enhanced linear actuation. These PPy-PEO materials offer improved strain and conductivity for artificial muscle applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Controllable linear actuation in conducting polymers is crucial for advanced applications.
- Polypyrrole (PPy) actuators typically exhibit mixed-ion actuation, limiting directional control.
- Incorporating polyethylene oxide (PEO) into polypyrrole (PPy) films aims to achieve unidirectional ion dominance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the linear actuation properties of PPy-PEO films doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) in various electrolytes.
- To compare the performance of PPy-PEO actuators against pristine PPy/DBS films.
- To assess the potential of PPy-PEO as a material for artificial muscle-like applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PPy-PEO/DBS films and pristine PPy/DBS films.
- Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).
- Morphological and compositional analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDX spectroscopy, alongside FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- PPy-PEO films exhibited unidirectional expansion during oxidation, unlike the mixed-ion actuation of pristine PPy/DBS.
- The electrolyte tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate in propylene carbonate (TBAPF6-PC) yielded the best performance for PPy-PEO, achieving 18% strain.
- PPy-PEO demonstrated significantly improved strain rates, electronic conductivity, charge densities, and diffusion coefficients compared to PPy/DBS.
- Long-term measurements showed stable strain over 4% for PPy-PEO actuators after 1000 cycles.
- EIS confirmed 1.3 times higher ion conductivity for PPy-PEO films.
Conclusions:
- The combination of PPy/DBS with PEO enables controllable, unidirectional linear actuation.
- PPy-PEO materials show excellent potential for artificial muscle applications in smart textiles and soft robotics.
- Enhanced ionic and electronic properties contribute to the superior performance of PPy-PEO actuators.
