Flexible supercapacitor-like actuator with carbide-derived carbon electrodes

Soft and flexible electric driven transducers based on carbide-derived carbon (CDC), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF(4)), polyvinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF(HFP)) are proposed, and electroactive performances of these materials are reported. By its nature, the synthesized device has two features when voltage is applied. Firstly, it is a bending-type electrochemical actuator. Besides the external change of shape, this device is also an electrochemical capacitor, providing opportunity to store a considerable amount of charge. Laminated actuators can work in open air at low voltages (1-3 V). Their operating frequency is between 5 x 10(-3) - 1 x 10(1) Hz (it is from 5 millihertz to 200 hertz) and 10 Hz and the maximum strain calculated from transducer displacement is 0.6%. The gravimetric capacitance of CDC in actuator electrodes was found to be 119 F g(-1) at 1 mV s(-1) sweep rate of the applied triangle voltage. The effects of synthesis temperature of CDC and associated changes in the porosity and surface area on the actuator displacement are discussed. The results of this study demonstrated a great potential of CDC as an active material for actuator electrodes, especially in these applications where the performance of the actuator has to be standardized and highly predictable. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.