Abstract
In this paper, bucky-gel electrodes containing various ionic liquid species were prepared by casting, using 'bucky gel', a gelatinous room-temperature ionic liquid (IL) containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). Their electrochemical impedance responses were measured and analyzed. Also, the electromechanical responses of the actuators composed of two bucky-gel electrodes sandwiching an ionic-liquid gel layer were studied by measuring the displacement due to an applied sinusoidal voltage at various frequencies. Based on the experimental results, the electromechanical responses of the bucky-gel actuator were analyzed by taking into account the electrochemical properties of the bucky-gel electrode. Accordingly, an electromechanical model for a bucky-gel actuator was obtained.
