Enhanced electromechanical properties of natural rubber using mussel-inspired modification of calcium titanate particles with supercapacitive property

Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) has broad application prospects because of their excellent properties. However, the need for high operating electric field limits their practical application. The natural rubber (NR) elastomer composite with excellent properties was obtained through the addition of high-dielectric-constant calcium titanate (CCTO) particles with modification by the deposition of poly(catechol/polyamine) (PCPA) and the graft of silane gamma-(2,3-expoxypropoxy)-propytrimethoxysilane (KH560). The interaction and polarization were significantly enhanced at the interface of CCTO and NR matrix due to the participation for epoxy groups of KH560 in vulcanization reaction. In this paper, the 50 parts per hundred rubber (phr) CCTO-PCPA-KH560/NR composite revealed the largest actuated strain (11.38%), which was similar to 4.48 times higher than that of pure NR composite (2.54%). And the CCTO-PCPA-KH560/NR composite revealed reinforced mechanical, dielectric, and electromechanical properties. In summary, this proposed approach is feasible, low cost, and helpful for the wide application of high-performance DEA.