Fabrication of ionic polymer metal composite for bio-actuation application: sputtering and electroless plating methods

In this study, Ionic polymer metal composites were fabricated for bio-actuation applications using chemical electroless plating (CEP) and physical sputtering (PS) methods. To use IPMC in biomedical devices, it was encapsulated by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin film which not only makes it biocompatible but also decreases the water loss from the IPMC channels resulting in longer IPMC actuation. The fabricated IPMCs in both methods were characterized and compared to each other in each stage of fabrication and actuation performance. CEP IPMC exhibited superior properties in all examinations. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay test showed a 92% cell viability by coating PDMS on the CEP IPMC. The CEP IPMC presented a 48% higher bending degree at the same voltages compared to the PS kind. This may be due to the low adhesion of the sputtered deposited electrode. Surprisingly, due to its rigidity, the PS IPMC disclosed a 33% higher output force than the CEP one at the same voltage.