Electromechanical actuation of highly conductive PEDOT/PSS-coated cellulose papers

Abstract

The electromechanical properties of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly (styrene sulfonate), (PEDOT/ PSS)-coated cellulose paper are investigated by varying the weight of PEDOT/PSS and frequencies of applied voltages. Through simple conformal coating, different weight of conductive PEDOT/PSS papers were fabricated and exhibited electromechanical actuation with stress generation controlled by low alternating applied voltage in ambient air. The dependence of electromechanical actuation on the weight of PEDOT/PSS and the frequency of the applied voltage are determined. The repeatability of the actuation is confirmed by generation of a stable stress more than 2000 times under ambient conditions. Furthermore, the PEDOT/PSS paper underwent intensive bending/unbending motion and showed a dependence on relative humidity. The present study suggests that PEDOT/PSS papers can be highly scalable for high-performance electromechanical devices in ambient air.