Dry Type Conducting Polymer Actuator Based on Polypyrrole–NBR/Ionic Liquid System

Abstract

The fabrication of dry type conducting polymer actuator was presented. In the preparation of actuator system, nitrile rubber (NBR) was used as a base material of the solid polymer electrolyte. Thin films of NBR (150 ∼ 200 µm) were prepared by compression molding process. The conducting polymer, polypyrrole(PPy) was synthesized on the surface of NBR by chemical oxidation polymerization technique, and the room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide (BMITFSI) was introduced into the composite film. The cyclic voltammetry responses and the redox switching dynamics of PPy in NBR/ionic liquid solid polymer electrolyte were studied. The displacement of actuator was measured by laser beam. Keywords: electro-active polymerionic liquidNBRpolypyrrole Acknowledgments This research (article) was performed for the Intelligent Robotics Development Program, one of the 21st Century Frontier R&D Programs funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea.