Improved performance of an activated multi-walled carbon nanotube polymer actuator, compared with a single-walled carbon nanotube polymer actuator

Actuators were developed using activated multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-ionic liquid (IL) gel electrodes, and were compared with non-activated MWCNT- and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-based actuators, in terms of their electrochemical and electromechanical properties. Furthermore, the effects of variations in the IL on the electrochemical and electromechanical properties of the activated MWCNT-NH2/IL gel electrode actuators were investigated. The performance of the activated MWCNT-NH2 polymer actuator surpassed that of the SWCNT actuator, in terms of the strain and maximum generated stress. For the MWCNT-NH2 actuators, the strain and maximum generated stress were dependent on the IL species.