Conducting polymer electrochemical actuator made of high-strength three-layered composite films of polythiophene and polypyrrole

Abstract Tri-layer conducting polymer composite films of polypyrrole/polythiophene/polypyrrole have been electrochemically synthesized by successive oxidation of pyrrole in aqueous solutions and thiophene in boron trifluoride diethyl ether (BFEE) solution, respectively. One of the polypyrrole layers was doped by a small anion of perchlorate (PPy (ClO4)) and the other one was doped by a large anion, dodecylbenzene sulfonate (PPy (DBS)). The tri-layer film was deformed by electrochemical reduction and oxidation of polypyrrole layers. The polythiophene (PTh) layer provided a high strength conductive polymeric support for the actuator. A 0.4 mg composite film can reversibly raise a 10 mg material (e.g. a copper wire) from the position of 0° to the position of ∼±90° at ±1. 0 V (versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE)), respectively, while the bi-ionic film of PPy (ClO4)/PPy (DBS) with the same weight can raise the 10 mg copper wire to only a position of ∼±25°. The movement rate of the tri-layer film was also higher than that of the bi-ionic polypyrrole film.

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