Improved performance of carbon nanotube buckypaper and ionic-liquid-in-Nafion actuators for rapid response and high durability in the open air

The fabrication and electromechanical performance of three layer actuators (carbon nanotube/Nafion/carbon nanotube) with doped Nafion were studied. The Nafion actuators were doped with 1-butyl-3methylimmidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI+BF4−) ionic liquid, which was verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The three layer actuators were fabricated using a simple method involving a doping and hot-pressing process. Carbon nanotube thin films (buckypaper or BP) were used as the electrode layers for fabricating the actuators. The actuators doped with the ionic liquid generated electromechanical strains up to 0.4%, which was ten times higher than when testing the neat Nafion three layer actuators. The results were promising for manufacturing lightweight, low power smart structures.