Novel sulfonated polysulfone ion exchange membranes for ionic polymer–metal composite actuators

Abstract A series of sulfonated polysulfone (SPSU) membranes with different degrees of sulfonation were prepared for fabricating cost-effective and high-performance ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) actuators. The experimental results show that the ion exchange capacity and water uptake of SPSU membranes increase with increasing their degree of sulfonation, and the proton conductivities of these hydrated membranes are subsequently enhanced. Compared with the commercial Nafion 117 ion exchange membrane, these SPSU membranes have higher ion exchange capacity and water uptake ability. Furthermore, the higher molecular rigidity of the SPSU membranes leads to higher tensile moduli in both dry and wet states than the Nafion membrane. The IPMC actuators made of the SPSU membranes demonstrate the large bending strain, fast response and excellent fatigue resistance under electric stimulation. Their electromechanical behaviors can be controlled by adjusting the sulfonation level of the SPSU ion exchange membranes.

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