Monolithic polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite actuators with tunable stimuli-responsive properties

High-performance monolithic actuators responding to acid/base were fabricated based on polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite. Flash-welding technique was adopted to endow PANI/PVA films with asymmetric structure, which drove rapid reversible actuation in acid/base. Compared with conventional PANI actuators, the PANI/PVA actuators were capable of providing tunable actuation degree and responsive rate, as well as enhanced mechanical properties and reversible repeatability. Moreover, the PANI/PVA actuators had much better recoverability in base than pure PANI nanofiber actuators. On the basis of PANI/PVA monolithic beam, we also fabricated PANI/PVA monolithic cubic boxes which showed tunable folding/unfolding response in acid/base via proper modulation. It is anticipated that the monolithic PANI/PVA nanocomposite actuators with tunable stimuli-responsive properties will have large potential for applications in micromechanical system, on-demand devices, chemical sensors and biomedical materials. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.