Improved response of ionic liquid-based bending actuators by tailored interaction with the polar fluorinated polymer matrix

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) (PVDF-CTFE) were evaluated for the development of ionic liquid (IL) - polymer composite bending actuators. The selected guest IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, [Emim][TFSI], was incorporated into the different host polymer matrixes in concentrations ranging from 10 to 40wt%. The IL/polymer composites electrical properties strongly depend on the IL content. The largest bending response was found for the IL/PVDF-TrFE composites with a maximum bending value of 3.5mm using a frequency of 100mHzat an applied potential difference of 5.0 Vpp. Thus, PVDF-TrFE are attractive candidates for the development of high performance bending actuators.
Work supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013, UID/QUI/00686/2013 and UID/QUI/0686/2016. The authors thank FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT under the projects PTDC/CTM-ENE/5387/2014 and UID/CTM/50025/2013 and Grants SFRH/BD/90215/2012 (J.C.D.), SFRH/BPD/121526/2016 (D.M.C), SFRH/BPD/112547/2015 (C.M.C.), SFRH/BPD/90870/2012 (C.R.). Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the project MAT2016-76039-C4-3-R (AEI/FEDER, UE) (including the FEDER financial support) and from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK and HAZITEK program and Grupos de Investigación, IT718-13, is also acknowledged.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion