Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T01:32:16.943Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Novel Actuating System Based on a Composite of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and an Ionomeric Polymer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Igor A. Levitsky ,
Peter T. Kanelos  and
William B. Euler
Igor A. Levitsky
Affiliation:
Emitech, Inc., Fall River, MA 02720, U.S.A.
Peter T. Kanelos
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, U.S.A.
William B. Euler
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

We report the fabrication and characterization of a novel composite material based on single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT)s and the ionomeric polymer Nafion. SWNTs were airbrushed from a chloroform suspension onto both sides of a Nafion membrane (180 μm) and the electromechanical properties of the composite material were explored. The outer layers of carbon nanotubes acted as electrodes in order to pass electrical current through the system while the mechanical response was monitored. Under this design, the mechanical response could be characterized, with respect to the electrical signal, as a function of: voltage, waveform (AC vs. DC), and frequency (AC). Data was also compiled to gauge the effect of size and thickness of each individual layer of the system. The reference samples (graphite-Nafion and sputtered gold-Nafion) did not exhibit mechanical actuation at the same conditions. An analytical model for current decay was considered that is in agreement with the experimental data. Bi-exponential decay with a long time component was found for bias, which is above the actuating threshold. That was explained in terms of increasing of the water dielectric constant and polymer-SWNT interface area. The possible mechanisms of the actuation in this novel composite are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 785: Symposium D – Materials and Devices for Smart Systems , 2003 , D9.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. “Electroactive Polymer Actuators as Artificial Muscles”, Y. Bar-Cohen ed., SPIE press, 2001.Google Scholar
2. (a) Shahinpoor, Bar-Cohen, Y, Simpson, J. O., and Smith, J., A review, Smart Mater. Struct., 7(1998) R15;10.1088/0964-1726/7/6/001Google Scholar
(b) Sadeghipour, K., Salomon, R., and Neogi, S., Smart Mater. Struct., 1(1992)172;10.1088/0964-1726/1/2/012Google Scholar
(c) Onishi, K., Sewa, S., Asaka, K., Fujiwara, N., and Oguro, K., Electrochim. Acta 46(2000)737.10.1016/S0013-4686(00)00656-3Google Scholar
3. Asaka, K., Oguro, K., J. Electroanal. Chem. 480(2000)186.10.1016/S0022-0728(99)00458-1Google Scholar
4. Nemat-Nasser, S., and Li, J. Y., J. Appl. Phys. 87(2000)3321.10.1063/1.372343Google Scholar
5. Nemat-Nasser, S., and Thomas, C. W., in “Electroactive Polymer Actuators as Artificial Muscles”, Bar-Cohen, Y. ed., SPIE press, 2001, pp. 139–191.Google Scholar
6. (a) Baughman, R. H., Cui, C., Zakhidov, A. A., Iqbal, Z., Barisci, J. N., Spinks, G. M., Wallace, G. G., Mazzoldi, A., De Rossi, D., Ronzler, A. G., Jaschinski, O., Roth, S., and Kertesz, M., Science 284, 1340 (1999);10.1126/science.284.5418.1340Google Scholar
(b) Spinks, G. M., Wallace, G. G., Baughman, R. H., and Dai, L. in “Electroactive Polymer Actuators as Artificial Muscles”, Bar-Cohen, Y. ed., SPIE press, 2001, pp. 223–246;Google Scholar
7. Bokris, O'M. J., and Reddy, A. K. N., “Modern Electrochemistry, v. 1 New York, Plenum Press, 1998.Google Scholar
8. Zang, Y., and Iijima, S., Phys. Rev. Lett. 17(1999)3472.10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.3472Google Scholar