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Chemical cross-linking of super-growth carbon nanotubes was performed to increase bucky gel actuators efficiency in transferring motion from the nano-scale to the micro-scale. The modification was achieved by a three-step reaction i.e. first an oxidation with nitric acid, then a chlorination process with thionyl chloride and finally the cross-linking with an aromatic diamine. The use of cross-linked nanotubes in bucky gel results in a threefold increase of the charge transfer capability of the composite material and an increase up to ten times of the strain generated by the resulting actuators. To our knowledge, such bucky gel actuators, prepared using cross-linked super growth carbon nanotubes, outperform any other electrochemical carbon nanotube actuator presented so far.

Both carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polypyrrole (PPy) have been investigated as materials for manufacturing high charge-transfer electrodes due to their outstanding performances. The combination of their complementary properties via an electrochemical co-deposition route has been already shown to achieve interesting results. In this work, PPy and chemically-functionalized multi walled CNTs (COOH-MWCNT) were potentiostatically, galvanostatically and potentiodynamically electrodeposited from an aqueous solution to form a nanocomposite on the surface of a variety of metal electrodes. A study of the influence of experimental parameters such as temperature, current, and growth rate in the different electrodeposition methods was performed. The electronic and electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite films have been studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, while a morphological study has been performed via scanning electron microscopy. A comparison between the different techniques and guidelines for best results will be reported.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have electrical and mechanical properties that make them highly attractive for actuators. They have the ability to deform elastically by several percent, thus storing very large amounts of energy, thanks to their crystalline nature and to their morphology. A bimorph actuator composed of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVdF) and the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIM][BF 4 ] with a polymer-supported internal IL electrolyte was previously demonstrated by Aida and coworkers. While several experiments were carried out using SWCNTs, PVdF and a number of ILs, the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) instead of SWCNTs is, to our knowledge, a new result that will be presented here. Electrochemical characterizations by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and actuation tests performed applying a square wave of 4 V peak-to-peak at frequencies between 0.3 and 2 Hz are reported and discussed.

Passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are considered interesting candidates for small-scale power applications. We investigated the performance in passive DMFCs of the PtRu catalyst supported on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene-4-sulfonate (pEDOT-pSS), a Nafion-free, mixed electronic-protonic conductor that assures electronic transport for methanol oxidation at the anode and provides the proton movement. The DMFCs were assembled with Vulcan XC-72R carbon/Pt (in excess) cathode, Nafion 117 membranes and 1 M CH3OH, and long-time performance data are reported and discussed.

In this paper, we propose a novel technological approach for the implementation of large-area flexible artificial skin based on arrays of piezoelectric polymer transducers. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducers are chosen for the high electromechanical transduction frequency bandwidth (up to 1 kHz). A low-cost and scalable technique for extracting PVDF signals is used to directly provide the piezoelectric film with patterned electrodes. If the skin is meant to cover large areas of a robot body, specific requirements have to be fulfilled from the point of view of the overall system and of the technology. Experimental tests on the prototype skin modules demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and reveal the potentiality to build large area flexible skin.

Single walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with an aromatic diamine have been successfully used to prepare bucky gel layers by mixing with an imidazolium based ionic liquid, allowing to build bimorph actuators that significantly outperform those prepared by using the pristine or oxidized carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotube gravimetric specific capacitance doubles, the actuator maximum operating frequency becomes five times higher and for same injected charge the strain reaches a fourfold increase. The origin of such dramatic effects is most probably due to an enhanced binding between the carbon nanotubes induced by their chemical modification. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

New polyaniline (PANi) synthesis was performed starting from non-toxic N-phenil-p-phenylenediamine (aniline dimer) using reverse addition of monomer to oxidizing agent, the synthesis allows to produce highly soluble PANi. Several types of doped PANi were prepared to be used on electromechanical active actuators. Different techniques were used to include carbon nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. Bimorph solid state ionic actuators were prepared with these novel nanocomposites using a variety of supporting polymers.

Oxidative polymerization of pyrrole directly on preformed bucky gel slurry was carried out in order to combine the remarkable properties of ionic actuators based on carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole. Bimorph solid state ionic actuators were prepared with this novel hybrid material and compared with classical bucky gel actuators. A small amount of polypyrrole is sufficient to dramatically improve the overall actuator performance. The maximum strain is five times larger than the one of actuators prepared only with carbon nanotubes. Moreover, for the same applied charge, the strain generated increases up to twenty-five times.

doi: 10.1016/j.jowsour.2008.09.016 Safety is the main concern for energy storage-system application in hybrid-electrical vehicles (HEVs) and ionic liquids (ILs) of low vapour pressure and high thermal stability represent a strategy to meet this key requisite. The use of solvent-free ILs in supercapacitors enables the high cell voltages required for increasing supercapacitor energy up to the values for power-assist application in HEVs. In order to exploit the wide electrochemical stability window of ILs, tailored electrode materials and cell configurations have to be used. The performance of asymmetric double-layer carbon supercapacitors (AEDLCs) and carbon/poly(3-methylthiophene) hybrid supercapacitors operating with different pyrrolidinium-based ILs are reported and compared. This study demonstrates that a design-optimized AEDLC operating with safe, solvent-free IL electrolyte meets cycling stability and the energy and power requisites for power-assisted HEVs at the investigated temperatures.

The ionic liquids (ILs) N-butyl-N-methyl-pyrrolidinium trifluoromethanesulfonate (PYR14Tf) and N-methyl-N-propyl-pyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (PYR13FSI) are investigated as electropolymerization media for poly(3-methylthiophene) (pMeT) in view of their use in carbon/IL/pMeT hybrid supercapacitors. Data on the viscosity, solvent polarity, conductivity and electrochemical stability of PYR14Tf and PYR13FSI as well as the effect of their properties on the electropolymerization and electrochemical performance of pMeT, which features >200 Fg−1 at 60 °C when prepared and tested in such ILs, are reported and discussed; the results of the electrochemical characterization in N-butyl-N-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide of the so-obtained pMeT are also given, for comparison.

Bucky gel actuators are a kind of electrochemical actuator based on carbon nanotubes having interesting features. They are intrinsically safe because are operated at low voltage, they are lightweight and they are able to work in air without any liquid electrolyte. One key aspect that needs improvement is their actuation speed which is strongly dependent on their ability of being efficiently charged and discharged without exceeding the electrochemical stability window of the electrolyte. By proper material processing, we have successfully addressed this issue. An actuator thickness reduction to one third of the original size results in a one order of magnitude increase of both the strain at higher frequencies and the maximum operating frequency. The strain improvement at high frequency due to thinning has the sole drawback of decreasing the maximum strain that can be achieved in quasi-static conditions. We addressed this second issue by using a proper combination of actuating materials. Oxidative polymerization of pyrrole was carried out directly on preformed bucky gel slurry in order to combine the remarkable properties of ionic actuators based on carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole. A small amount of polypyrrole is sufficient to dramatically improve the overall actuator performance, and by using this hybrid it is possible to obtain thin actuators (about 0.1 mm) with superior performance even at lower frequencies.