Highly Stretchable and Ionically Conductive Membranes with Semi-Interpenetrating Network Architecture for Truly All-Solid-State Microactuators and Microsensors [* Cross-Reference *]

This paper presents a new method for the synthesis and characterization of stretchable and highly ionically conducting membranes and their subsequent use in truly all-solid-state, flexible, and soft electroactive devices.

Linear conductive PIL and reinforcing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) network are first intimately entangled during the synthesis of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN). Polymerization kinetics, thermomechanical properties, as well as ionic conductivity measurements reveal that for the 60:40 wt ratio of PEO:PIL a true synergy of the properties of both polymer partners is achieved, with ionic conductivities up to 8.7 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 30 °C and elongations at break greater than 100%, being both superior to each partners taken separately.