Wholly and Partially Alkylated poly(1- vinylimidazole) 2ith Applications in Electroactive Devices and Stimuli- Responsive Materials

摘要

Ionomeric polymer transducers (IPT) are a class of synthetic polymers suitable for use in electroactive devices such as actuators or sensors. The classical example present today is NafionTM which is composed of a sulfonated fluoropolymer. The entire IPT composite is composed of the ionomeric membrane, which is plated with flexible electrodes to provide the voltage necessary. Upon exposure to charge, the free ions in the IPT migrate, causing actuation. However, once all the ions have migrated, the migration ceases, and there is a loss of conductivity. This property makes these materials suitable for electroactive devices, but poor choices for conducting materials. Recently, there has been activity in swelling conductive films with diluents, typically ionic liquids for their high conductivity, which would further improve the conductivity of the IPT.