Actuation behavior of ionic polymer-metal composites with imidazolium-based ionic liquids

PMSE 260

Jang-Woo Lee, nicejw@konkuk.ac.kr and Young-Tai Yoo, ytyoo@konkuk.ac.kr. Department of Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Konkuk University in South Korea, 1 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-701, South Korea
The effect of various anions of ionic liquids on the electric properties and bending performance of IPMC was studied. Selected ionic liquids were prepared via a metathesis reaction from 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium [EMIm] cation and four different anions including bromide [Br], nitrate [NO3], acetate [AcO], and trifluoroacetate [TA]. The tip displacement of ionic liquid-based IPMCs was in the order of [EMIm][Br] > [EMIm][NO3] > [EMIm][AcO] > [EMIm][TA] at 3 V. From the LSV data, the electrical onset voltage may result from the abrupt increase of ion transport and the electrolysis of electrolyte, and the current over the onset voltage may be the sum of the degree of electrolysis and ion transport in IPMC. Consequently, a higher current at a voltage over the onset voltage causes a higher performance of IPMC accompanying a higher electrolysis.

Keywords: IPMC, Electroactive polymer, Nafion, Ionic liquid