Soft actuator based on Kraton with GO/Ag/Pani composite electrodes for robotic applications

Abstract In this work, electrochemically-driven Kraton/graphene oxide/Ag/polyaniline (Kraton/GO/Ag/Pani) polymer composite based ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) was fabricated as a soft actuator. Silver nanopowder with polyaniline coating used as an electrode material is a novel approach in the fabrication of IPMC, which gives new opportunities for development of the electrode on ionic polymer actuator surfaces directly without electroless plating of Pt or Au metal. The Kraton/GO/Ag/Pani membrane showed much higher water-uptake (WU), ion exchange capacity (IEC), proton conductivity than those of several reported IPMC membranes. The enhanced actuation performance indicates that the Kraton/GO/Ag/Pani is a better alternative to the highly expensive commercialized IPMC actuator.