Thorium (IV) phosphate‐polyaniline composite‐based hydrophilic membranes for bending actuator application

In the present study, ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) membrane actuator based on triple‐layered thorium(IV) phosphate/polyaniline/Pt (ThP‐PANI‐Pt) was prepared via consecutive solution recasting and electroless plating methods. The triple‐layered membrane is composed of thorium(IV) phosphate (ThP) inorganic cation exchanger layer in the middle section, two layers of polyaniline deposited through in situ polymerization and finally Pt electrode layers on both the surfaces on the outer section. The water uptake capacity of the ThP‐PANI composite polymer membrane was found to be 95.40% at 45ºC for 10 h of immersion time. The ion exchange capacity and proton conductivity was found to be 1.6 meq g −1 of dry membrane and 1.12 × 10 −3 S cm −1 , respectively. Maximum water loss from IPMC was 38% at 4 V for a time period of 12 min. Scanning electron micrographs shows the smooth and uniform coating of Pt on both side of composite polymer membrane surfaces. Cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, and tip displacement of ThP‐PANI‐Pt IPMC membrane actuator was also examined. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:258–267, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers