Cellulose/PDMS hybrid material for actuating lens

Miniaturization of optical systems has promoted a revolution in lens technology and this emerging field has much interest for medical practitioners as well as electronic engineers. Tunable liquid lens capable of adjusting its focal length have special curiosity in this regard where in micro-scale actuators are often integrated. Here we demonstrate a lens consisting of a transparent elastomer liquid composite containing organo modified cellulose nanocrystals. The actuator with the working voltage of only up to 0.8kV was capable to produce an area expansion and thereby altering the curvature of the lens (focal length) reversibly in 5 seconds. The effect of filler concentration on optical property and dielectric behavior of the composites were also analyzed.

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