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Controllable Multimodal Actuation in Fully Printed Ultrathin Micro-Patterned Electrochemical Actuators
Ji Zhang1,2, Qingshen Jing1,3, Tom Wade1
1Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 24, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed microfabricated electrochemical actuators (ECAs) using aerosol jet printing. These soft microactuators operate at low voltages and offer rapid response times for microrobotics and biomedical uses.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Microfabrication
- Soft Robotics
Background:
- Miniaturized soft actuators are crucial for microrobotics, haptics, and biomedical applications.
- Fabricating micropatterned, open-air soft actuators at the microscale presents significant challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel microfabrication method for creating submillimeter electrochemical actuators (ECAs).
- To explore the potential of aerosol jet printing (AJP) for rapid prototyping of intricate soft microactuator arrays.
Main Methods:
- Utilized aerosol jet printing (AJP) for microfabrication, achieving a 10 μm lateral resolution.
- Fabricated ultrathin trilayer ECAs (1000 × 5000 × 12 μm³) consisting of Nafion electrolyte and PEDOT:PSS electrodes.
Main Results:
- Achieved fully printed ECAs operating at low voltages (∼0.5 V) with fast response times (∼seconds) due to thinness and low flexural rigidity.
- Demonstrated multimodal actuation with individually controlled submillimeter segments within a single printed actuator.
Conclusions:
- AJP offers a convenient, versatile, rapid, and low-cost strategy for microfabricating soft microactuators.
- This approach facilitates the integration of individually controlled microactuators onto stretchable electronic circuits for advanced applications.
