Linear electrochemical gel actuators

By using electroactive monomers it is possible to produce gels that respond to oxidation or reduction by swelling and deswelling in the presence of solvent. By the inclusion of an appropriate biasing element such as a spring, it is possible to produce linear, reversible actuation. The process can be driven electrochemically in a standard cell, with driving voltages under ± 1 V. For many systems, the intrinsic conductivity of the gel, leading to poor or no performance. This can be overcome by blending conductive carbon nanotubes at 1% concentration, which give reasonable conductivity without affecting mechanical performance. Extensions of up to 40% are possible, against an external pressure of 30 kPa. The process is slow, taking up to 160 minutes per cycle due to slow ionic diffusion. The electrochemical cell can be cycled many times without degradation.