Source: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Researchers in South Korea have developed a new type of electrode that has a carbon layer that makes artificial muscles more durable.
Ion-polymeric metal complexes, also known as artificial muscles, are electroactive substances that change their size and shape depending on the situation under an applied electric field. The application prospects of IPMCs in robotics have been extensively studied, such as the fins of underwater robotic fish, and provide services for disabled people. An IPMC motor can be obtained by forming a stretched molecular film between the two metal electrodes. When an electric field is applied to this motor, ions in the membrane migrate and redistribute, causing the material to bend. Due to its low energy consumption and its ability to bend under low pressure conditions, IPMC motors are widely recognized for their ability to move according to the environment. However, it also has a major drawback - exposure to the air for a certain period of time. Or, after a certain period of energization, the metal electrode may be broken, which may cause ion leakage, thereby deteriorating performance.
Increasing the service life of IPMC motors is one of the main challenges in the artificial muscle field. Researchers are working hard to find new ways to develop electrodes that are flexible, economical, highly conductive and do not break. Researchers from the Korea Institute of Advanced Science and Technology published a paper on the development of thin-film electrodes in the journal ACS Nano, which was developed based on a novel ion-polymerized graphene composite. Graphene is a monoatomic carbon layer with excellent mechanical, electrical and thermodynamic properties. The new electrode has a very smooth outer surface that does not break and does not permeable to water in aqueous solution. Its inner surface is rough, which can promote the migration of particles, which is beneficial to the bending of materials. This new IPGC motor has excellent performance and can be used for a long time without degradation even under high voltage conditions. It has very important application prospects in the field of biomedicine, such as bionic robots.
The researchers also acknowledge that there are still many challenges with regard to graphene-based electrodes waiting to be explored and discovered. In 2015, they plan to further improve the bending performance and energy storage capacity of this motor.
Flood Emergency Solution,Home Flood Protection,Freestanding Flood Barrier,Sewage Overflow Prevention
Denilco Environmental technology(Suzhou)Co., Ltd. , https://www.wflood.com