Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet electrode-based high-performance ionic actuator

Abstract

Ionic actuators have attracted attention due to their remarkably large strain under low-voltage stimulation. Because actuation performance is mainly dominated by the electrochemical and electromechanical processes of the electrode layer, the electrode material and structure are crucial. Here, we report a graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet electrode-based ionic actuator that displays high electrochemical activity and electromechanical conversion abilities, including large specific capacitance (259.4 F g−1) with ionic liquid as the electrolyte, fast actuation response (0.5±0.03% in 300 ms), large electromechanical strain (0.93±0.03%) and high actuation stability (100,000 cycles) under 3 V. The key to the high performance lies in the hierarchical pore structure with dominant size <2 nm, optimal pyridinic nitrogen active sites (6.78%) and effective conductivity (382 S m−1) of the electrode. Our study represents an important step towards artificial muscle technology in which heteroatom modulation in electrodes plays an important role in promoting electrochemical actuation performance.

Soft but Powerful Artificial Muscles Based on 3D Graphene–CNT–Ni Heteronanostructures

“…It is well known that the electrochemical responses of carbon‐based electrodes play a very important role in the bending actuation of the ionic artificial muscles. The electrical conductivity and capacitance of the carbon‐based electrodes influence the attraction and accumulation of mobile ions, resulting in bending deformations directly related to the expansion and contraction in both electrodes and ionic membrane . Accordingly, cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests for rGO, G–Ni, and G–CNT–Ni were conducted in two different electrolytes as shown in Figure .…”

Self‐Powered Piezoionic Strain Sensor toward the Monitoring of Human Activities

“…Therefore, the electrode design is crucial to the performance of the piezoionic sensor. In our previous work, various nanomaterials including graphene and carbon nanotube (CNT) are employed as the electrode materials for the construction of ionic actuators which exhibit attractive high‐performance actuation responses . Inspired by previous studies, graphene and CNT, which have large specific surface area and excellent properties, are also used to form the piezoionic sensors.…”

Environmental Effects on the Polypyrrole Tri-layer Actuator

“…Figure 6c The electrochemical bending of the tri-layer actuator under a frequency of 0.2 Hz and ±1.5 V square wave voltage was investigated in Figure 5c. The fast and slow response of the actuation in the actuator was attributed to the quick insertion and extraction of ions (ionic conductivity) and the diffusion of ions at the electrode-electrolyte interface [46]. As seen in Figure 5c, the flow of ions (oxidation and reduction current) is higher in an inert environment, which illustrate the better diffusion at the electrode-electrolyte interface, higher conductivity, and fast ion movement (electrodynamics).…”