Self-Standing High-Performance Transparent Actuator Based on Poly(dimethylsiloxane)/TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers/Ionic Liquid Gel

The sustainable application of cellulose nanofibers and ionic liquids (ILs) in the fabrication of transparent gel electrolyte actuators combined with thin electrodes remains to be explored. Accordingly, this study developed a new actuator on the basis of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical-oxidized cellulose nanofibers/IL/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (TOCN/IL/PDMS) transparent gel electrolyte. A casting method was employed to prepare the gel electrolyte film, and spray-coating was used to apply thin electrodes. On the basis of its electromechanical and electrochemical properties, the TOCN/IL/PDMS gel electrolyte actuator had high strain performance. The actuator's operational mechanism is based on both electrostatic double-layer capacitor (EDLC) and Faradaic capacitor mechanisms, with the EDLC mechanism having a stronger influence. The actuator's displacement-response frequency dependency was determined, and we simulated the obtained findings by using a double-layer charging kinetic model. The combined gel electrolyte and electrode resistance resulted in a favorable fit to the experimental data, as did the gel electrolyte resistance alone. The performance of the TOCN/IL/PDMS-electrolyte-based polymer actuators can be improved further by designing electrolytes (primarily) and electrodes to have high ionic and electrical conductivities. The films-which are flexible, robust, and transparent-may have potential as actuator materials within electronic and energy-conversion devices that are required to be wearable and transparent.