Nanoporous carbon nanotube electrode for stable polypyrrole actuator

Electrochemical actuators were fabricated based on conducting polypyrrole (PPy) and acrylic elastomer substrate. An ultrathin layer of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) was employed as the electrode for the electrochemical deposition of PPy onto the substrate. The permeability of the nanoporous SWNT layer enabled the electrolyte solution to penetrate the electrode and the polymerization of pyrrole both on the surface and at the interior of the substrate surface. The resulting PPy was intimately attached to the substrate. The two materials could not be detached by any physical means. Reversible and stable actuation has been demonstrated from the new PPy/SWNT/acrylic/SWNT/PPy bimorph structure.