Recent Advances in Ionic Liquid-Based Hybrid Materials for Electroactive Soft Actuator Applications

Abstract

Actuator systems are among the most noteworthy aspects of the rapidly expanding field of smart and multifunctional materials, which is having a substantial impact on a number of application areas. Ionic liquids (ILs) are a particularly relevant option for the development of hybrid materials for actuator applications, because of their simple processing and tailored response. This review work focuses on ionic liquid-based polymer blends for soft actuator applications. The main properties of IL for these applications are highlighted and the state of the art of actuator devices is presented by the type of polymer matrix. Finally, the main conclusions and future trends are presented, in order to properly tailor the characteristics and functional response of IL-blends for actuator applications.