The Enhancement Effect of Mesoporous Graphene on Actuation of Nafion-Based IPMC

A facile method to fabricate ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators is proposed. A blend of mesoporous graphene (MG) and Nafion is used as the ionic matrix, which is sandwiched by two layers of blend of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Nafion as the electrodes. When subjected to an electrical field of 3 V, the IPMC actuator exhibits a blocking force of 10 gf g(-1) for 20 s, and the same behavior can be repeatedly played for hundreds of cycles. MG improves the mechanical properties of Nafion-based IPMC, more importantly, the mesopores in graphene provide additional pathway for the diffusion of cationic clusters and thus enhance the actuation speed. In addition, the surface electrodes of rGO protect the interlamellar liquid from evaporation thus ensure the durability.