Work

Highly Stretchable and Transparent Ionogels as Nonvolatile Conductors for Dielectric Elastomer Transducers

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Large deformation of soft materials is harnessed to provide functions in the nascent field of soft machines. This paper describes a new class of systems enabled by highly stretchable, transparent, stable ionogels. We synthesize an ionogel by polymerizing acrylic acid in ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([C2mim][EtSO4]). The ionogel exhibits desired attributes of adequate conductivity (0.22 S m(-1)), low elastic modulus (∼3 kPa), large rupturing stretch (∼4.6), and negligible hysteresis and degradation after cyclic stretches of large amplitude. Using the ionogel and a dielectric elastomer, we fabricate electromechanical transducers that achieve a voltage-induced areal strain of 140%. The ionogel is somewhat hygroscopic, but the transducers remain stable after a million cycles of excitation in a dry oven and in air. The transparency of the ionogels enable the transducers with conductors placed in the path of light, and the nonvolatility of the ionogels enable the transducers to be used in open air.

Source: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/am501130t

Authors: Baohong Chen, Jing Jing Lu, Can Hui Yang, Jian Hai Yang, Jinxiong Zhou, Yong Mei Chen, Zhigang Suo

Institutions: State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Structure Strength and Vibration, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Dielectric materials and actuators

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2156353574

FWCI: 6.401

Cites: 33

Cited by: 266

Related to: 10