Fabrication of ionic polymer actuator with graphene nanocomposite electrodes and its characterization

• The simple fabrication method of graphene nanocomposite electrodes was proposed.
• The novel ionic polymer with graphene nanocomposite electrode was fabricated.
• The electrical property of the graphene nanocomposite was characterized.
• Bending motions of the actuator were demonstrated and investigated.

In the present study, a novel ionic polymer actuator employing a graphene nanocomposite (GN) as its electrodes was fabricated. By a conventional solvent mixing of a graphene nanopowder and polystyrene, a GN solution was prepared. The solution was then utilized in a dip coating process of an ionic polymer membrane, forming a thin liquid GN layer on the surfaces of the ionic polymer membrane. After removing the solvent from the coated film, the solidified conducting GN layer could be obtained, which was used as the electrodes in the ionic polymer actuator. An electrical property of the GN layer formed by the present method was characterized, confirming the possibility of the present GN in the actuator applications. Simple and reverse bending motions of the fabricated actuator were also investigated, verifying the usefulness of both the GN layer and the present simple fabrication method.