PEDOT and PANI Electrodes for IP2C Actuators

Ionic polymer-polymer composites (IP
²
C) are a new class of organic electroactive polymers that can be used to create electromechanical actuators. The technology of obtaining polymer electrodes based on PEDOT and PANI by in situ polymerization of the ion exchange membrane surface is presented. Water, ethylene glycol and ionic liquid were used as solvents. It has been shown that the largest displacement is achieved by using water as a solvent. It was shown that the IP
²
C actuators obtained by the in situ polymerization method of EDOT are able to deform with amplitudes that are an order of magnitude larger than in the case of the drop casting method and even exceeding strain amplitudes of IPMC actuators. IP
²
C actuators with PANI electrodes were characterized by smaller strains, apparently due to the low conductivity of such electrodes.