Conducting polymer microactuators

The fundamentals of electrolytic expansion in polyaniline films have been discussed. Ion insertion and exclusion by electrolytic oxidation and reduction are the primary mechanisms. However, it is also evident that the changes in molecular conformations, arising due to the delocalisation of 7t-electrons and the electrostatic repulsion between the polycations, are other mechanisms operating in a conducting polymer microactuator. By investigating the molecular structure and the higher order structure to optimise the electrolytic expansion, it should be possible to improve the expansion ratio and the force for practical usage. 

Alici G, Devaud V, Renaud P, Spinks G (2009) Conducting polymer microactuators operating in air. J Micromech Microeng 19 025017... 

Jager EWH, Masurkar N, Nworah NF, Gaihre B, Alici G, Spinks GM (2013b) Patterning and electrical interfacing of individually controllable conducting polymer microactuators. Sens Actuators B 183 283-289... 

Maziz A et al (2014) Demonstrating kHz frequency actuation for conducting polymer microactuators. Adv Funct Mater 24(30) 4851-4859... 

Alici G, Huynh NN (2007) Performance quantification of conducting polymer actuators for real applications a microgripping system. lEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron 12 73-84 Alici G, Spinks G, Huynh NN, Sarmadi L, Minato R (2007) Establishment of a biomimetic device based on tri-layer polymer actuators - propulsion fins. Bioinspir Biomim 2 S18 Alici G, Devaud V, Renaud P, Spinks G (2009) Conducting polymer microactuators operating in air. J Micromech Microeng 19 025017... 

Martinez JG, Otero TF, Jager EWH (2014) Effect of the electrolyte concentration and substrate on conducting polymer actuators. Langmuir 30(13) 3894-3904. doi 10.1021/la404353z Maziz A et al (2014) Demonstrating kHz frequency actuation for conducting polymer microactuators. Adv Funct Mater p.n/a-n/a. Available at 10.1002/adfm.201400373. Accessed 30 May 2014... 

Numerous examples of developing conducting polymer actuators to operate as artificial muscles have been described in the literature. For example, a steerable cochlear implant with the CRC Cochlear Implant. (Melbourne, Australia), is under development.126 The microactuator will assist surgeons during implantation of the Bionic... 

Lee, A.P, K.G. Hong, J. Trevino, and M.A. Northrop. 1994. Thin film conductive polymer for microactuator and micromuscle applications. Presented at Dynamic and Systems and Gontrol Session, International Mechanical Engineering Gongress, Ghicago, USA. 

A variety of other options for achieving functional material on the basis of electroactive polymers have been reported. For instance, self-assembled microactuators, micromachines [21], multilayers by consecutive adsorption of conducting polymers yielding surface assemblies [22, 23], and sensors are created by the molecular recognition properties of electroactive polymers [24, 25]. 

Gaihre B, Alici G, Spinks GM, Caimey JM (2012) Pushing the limits for microactuators based on electroactive polymers. Microelectromech Syst J 21 574—585 Gaihre B, Ashraf S, Spinks GM, hmis PC, Wallace GG (2013) Comparative displacement study of bilayer actuators comprising of conducting polymers, fabricated from polypyrrole, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene). Sens Actuators A Phys 193 48-53... 

Using mierofabrieation (see Chap. 15, Conducting Polymers as EAPs Physical Description and Simulation ), Smela et al. developed the first CP microactuators. They were bilayers of Au and PPy(DBS) that gave a simple bending motion (Smela et al. 1993). In the years following this first demonstration, the complexity of the... 

Shahinpoor [930], working at the "Artificial Muscles Research Institute", University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA, fabricated devices for a wide variety of applications based on electrochemomechanical principles, from ion conducting polymers (not CPs). These polymers included poly(acrylic acid-bisacrylamide) (PAAM), poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (Poly(AMPS)), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). While these are not CPs, Shahinpoor also indicated that similar action could be expected, with minor modifications, from CPs such as poly (ary lene vinylenes) and poly(thienylene vinylenes). Shahinpoor typically used a metal (e.g. Pt) + ion conductive polymer composite in place of the customary bilayers. Some of the applications envisioned, or demonstrated for ion conductive polymers, included microactuators, motion sensors, accelerometers, oscillating artificial muscles, inchworms, cardiac>circulation assistants, noiseless propulsion swimming robots for military applications, fully constituted contractile artificial muscles, miniature flying machines, and electrically controllable adaptive optical lenses (Fig. 21-51. The potential military applications of these have fueled much interest recently [931]. 

Khaldi A, Plesse C, Soyer C, Cattan E, Vidal F, Legrand C, Teyssie D (2011) Conducting interpenetrating polymer network sized to fabricate microactuators. Appl Phys Lett 98 164101... 

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