Reconfigurable shape-morphing dielectric elastomers using spatially varying electric fields
Reconfigurable shape-morphing dielectric elastomers using spatially varying electric fields
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DOI：
10.1038/s41467-018-08094-w
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发表时间：
2019-01-14
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Clarke, David R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hajiesmaili, Ehsan;Clarke, David R.
通过施加电场可以在软弹性体中产生异常大的应变，并且该应变可以用于各种新型致动器，例如可调透镜和触觉致动器。然而，形状变形与介电弹性体一直是不可能的，因为没有通用的方法来改变他们的高斯曲率已经设计出来。在这里，它示出，这种基本的限制可以解除通过引入内部，空间变化的电场通过一层一层的制造方法，将成形的，基于碳纳米管的电极之间的薄弹性体片。为了说明该方法的潜力，电压可调的负和正高斯曲率形状。此外，通过向不同组的内部电极施加电压，可以重新配置形状。当电压被移除时，所有形状变化都是可逆的。
Exceptionally large strains can be produced in soft elastomers by the application of an electric field and the strains can be exploited for a variety of novel actuators, such as tunable lenses and tactile actuators. However, shape morphing with dielectric elastomers has not been possible since no generalizable method for changing their Gaussian curvature has been devised. Here it is shown that this fundamental limitation can be lifted by introducing internal, spatially varying electric fields through a layer-by-layer fabrication method incorporating shaped, carbon-nanotubes-based electrodes between thin elastomer sheets. To illustrate the potential of the method, voltage-tunable negative and positive Gaussian curvatures shapes are produced. Furthermore, by applying voltages to different sets of internal electrodes, the shapes can be re-configured. All the shape changes are reversible when the voltage is removed.