EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SWNT BUCKYPAPER AND NANOCOMPOSITE ACTUATORS

摘要

The potential of using single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) as electromechanical actuators offers exciting possibilities. A nanotube actuation mechanism relies on the quantum chemical expansion of a graphitic carbon lattice when an electrical charge is applied. Electrochemically charging and discharging carbon nanotubes generates motion, which is a phenomenon that can be easily demonstrated on a free-standing of SWNT buckypaper film in an aqueous electrolyte solution. To obtain more data for SWNT actuator applications and achieve a more comprehensive understanding, we conducted a series of experiments to investigate the effects of electrical potentials and frequencies on actuation performance for both buckypapers and their nanocomposites. We also explored stability and repeatability of using SWNT buckypaper actuators. The results demonstrate that the actuation performance of SWNT buckypapers has a linear relationship with applied potentials. Good dynamic actuations of random buckypaper samples were also illustrated at 1 Hz and 10 Hz.