Artificial muscle morphology : structure/property relationships in polypyrrole actuators
Name
174039933-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
26.11 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
9b793850cf9975aa6d58aea747ff5fd3
Author(s)
Pytel, Rachel Zimet
Advisor(s)
Edwin L. Thomas and Ian W. Hunter.
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
We seek to improve polypyrrole and other conducting polymer actuators by discovering and exploiting the connection between nanoscale transport events and macroscale active strain. To this end we have used diffraction and electron microscopy to investigate the microstructure of polypyrrole. and propose a new description consisting of disordered polypyrrole chains held together by small crystalline bundles, around which solvent and counterions are randomly distributed. We utilize different modes of deformation to impart orientational texture to polypyrrole films, and show that by controlling polymer chain conformation and packing at a sub-micron level a conducting polymer actuator can be engineered that shows a significantly larger macroscopic electroactive response. We also alter the synthesis and doping conditions to produce films with widely varying surface morphologies, allowing us to control the rate of electroactive response. Our detailed understanding of polypyrrole morphology at different lengthscales provides valuable insight to the mechanisms of polypyrrole actuation, and has helped us process polypyrrole more intelligently for improved electroactive devices.
Description
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-204).
Subjects
Materials Science and Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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