Development of an electroactive biopolymer-based membrane and characterization of mechanical actuator properties for applications in electromechanical smart products

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are functional materials that, stimulated by an electric field, change its composition or molecular structure so that the material expands, contracts, or bends (Guzmán et al. in J Appl Polymer Sci 112:3284–32931, 2009) and (Rappaport et al. in A glucose fuiel cell for implantable brain machine interfaces, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 2012). The literature has shown that Chitin and Chitosan are considerably versatile and promising biomaterials to be used as EAPs in medical and biomedical applications as cochlear implant, and due to its chemical structure, is considered a biocompatible, bio-adhesive and biodegradable polymer (Falguni et al. in Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE Students Technology Simposium, IIT Kharagpur, 2010). Their amino and hydroxyl groups can be easily modified by organic (Younes et al. in Process Biochem 47:2032–2039, 2012) or cross-linked reactions, to obtain sophisticated functional medical devices (Wongpaint et al. in Micromol Biosci 5:1001–1012, 2005). This research collaboration aims to prove that Chitosan-based membranes could be synthetized as EAPs; as well as determine that there are useful ionic flow and movement responses on them. Chitosan-based membranes were prepared by the film-casting traditional method, treated with Tetraammineplatinum (II) chloride hydrate and Silver Nitrate by the ion exchange polymer method; and then cast with Sodium and Potassium Chloride as conductive salts. Membranes were tested at different voltages, as well as the chemical tests as FTIR, XRD, TGA and tensile strength and elongation as a function of the treatment applied. Film properties depended on its morphology, which is affected by Molecular Weight, degree of N -acetylation (DDA%), solvent evaporation and free amine regenerating mechanism (Younes et al. in Process Biochem 47:2032–2039, 2012) and (Wongpaint et al. in Micromol Biosci 5:1001–1012, 2005). Samples exhibited good displacement increasing as the applied voltage increased; best tip displacement was located as 17 mm at 7 V; and best theoretical δ value is found at 29.6 mm.