Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator
Abstract Electro-active ionic soft actuators have been intensively investigated as an artificial muscle for soft robotics due to their large bending deformations at low voltages, small electric power consumption, superior energy density, high safety and biomimetic self-sensing actuation. However, th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44719-z |
| _version_ | 1797355674459439104 |
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| author | Van Hiep Nguyen Saewoong Oh Manmatha Mahato Rassoul Tabassian Hyunjoon Yoo Seong-Gyu Lee Mousumi Garai Kwang Jin Kim Il-Kwon Oh |
| author_facet | Van Hiep Nguyen Saewoong Oh Manmatha Mahato Rassoul Tabassian Hyunjoon Yoo Seong-Gyu Lee Mousumi Garai Kwang Jin Kim Il-Kwon Oh |
| author_sort | Van Hiep Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Electro-active ionic soft actuators have been intensively investigated as an artificial muscle for soft robotics due to their large bending deformations at low voltages, small electric power consumption, superior energy density, high safety and biomimetic self-sensing actuation. However, their slow responses, poor durability and low bandwidth, mainly resulting from improper distribution of ionic conducting phase in polyelectrolyte membranes, hinder practical applications to real fields. We report a procedure to synthesize efficient polyelectrolyte membranes that have continuous conducting network suitable for electro-ionic artificial muscles. This functionally antagonistic solvent procedure makes amphiphilic Nafion molecules to assemble into micelles with ionic surfaces enclosing non-conducting cores. Especially, the ionic surfaces of these micelles combine together during casting process and form a continuous ionic conducting phase needed for high ionic conductivity, which boosts the performance of electro-ionic soft actuators by 10-time faster response and 36-time higher bending displacement. Furthermore, the developed muscle shows exceptional durability over 40 days under continuous actuation and broad bandwidth below 10 Hz, and is successfully applied to demonstrate an inchworm-mimetic soft robot and a kinetic tensegrity system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c10f7467bd774b31bf73382ef1f920fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:29Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-c10f7467bd774b31bf73382ef1f920fb2024-01-14T12:27:55ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-01-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-44719-zFunctionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuatorVan Hiep Nguyen0Saewoong Oh1Manmatha Mahato2Rassoul Tabassian3Hyunjoon Yoo4Seong-Gyu Lee5Mousumi Garai6Kwang Jin Kim7Il-Kwon Oh8National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory, KAIST Analysis Center for Research Advancement, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Active Materials and Smart Living Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)National Creative Research Initiative for Functionally Antagonistic Nano-Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Abstract Electro-active ionic soft actuators have been intensively investigated as an artificial muscle for soft robotics due to their large bending deformations at low voltages, small electric power consumption, superior energy density, high safety and biomimetic self-sensing actuation. However, their slow responses, poor durability and low bandwidth, mainly resulting from improper distribution of ionic conducting phase in polyelectrolyte membranes, hinder practical applications to real fields. We report a procedure to synthesize efficient polyelectrolyte membranes that have continuous conducting network suitable for electro-ionic artificial muscles. This functionally antagonistic solvent procedure makes amphiphilic Nafion molecules to assemble into micelles with ionic surfaces enclosing non-conducting cores. Especially, the ionic surfaces of these micelles combine together during casting process and form a continuous ionic conducting phase needed for high ionic conductivity, which boosts the performance of electro-ionic soft actuators by 10-time faster response and 36-time higher bending displacement. Furthermore, the developed muscle shows exceptional durability over 40 days under continuous actuation and broad bandwidth below 10 Hz, and is successfully applied to demonstrate an inchworm-mimetic soft robot and a kinetic tensegrity system.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44719-z |
| spellingShingle | Van Hiep Nguyen Saewoong Oh Manmatha Mahato Rassoul Tabassian Hyunjoon Yoo Seong-Gyu Lee Mousumi Garai Kwang Jin Kim Il-Kwon Oh Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator Nature Communications |
| title | Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator |
| title_full | Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator |
| title_fullStr | Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator |
| title_short | Functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro-ionic soft actuator |
| title_sort | functionally antagonistic polyelectrolyte for electro ionic soft actuator |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44719-z |
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