An electrochemical microactuator based on highly textured LiCoO2

In this paper we demonstrate a novel electrochemical actuator based on an array of micro-pillars of intercalation compound LiCoO2 with induced crystallographic texture (Lotgering factor f = 0.96) to enhance actuation strain. The highly textured LiCoO2 posts were fabricated by hot-press sintering and subsequent dicing, and the contrived texture facilitated both electrochemical lithiation and resulting actuation strain in the longitudinal direction. Compared with traditional actuator materials, such as piezoceramics, the micro-pillar array of LiCoO2 showed an almost one order higher actuation strain (1.2%) at a low applied voltage (<5 V). The conceptual demonstration outlined in this paper provides a foundation for the design and application of intercalation compounds as novel smart materials.