Dielectric Elastomer Actuators with Biphasic Ag-EGaIn Electrodes

A new electrode architecture for dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is introduced in which a soft polyacrylate film is coated with a biphasic mixture of silver, indium, and gallium. This Ag-In-Ga coating functions as a soft electrode that is ultrathin, highly compliant, highly conductive, stretchable, and non-smearing. Compared to carbon grease, sputter-deposited metal coating, and particle-filled conductive elastomers, this biphasic coating exhibits a unique combination of solid-state integrity, extreme mechanical compliance, and low electrical resistivity. Herein, how DEAs with an Ag-In-Ga coating exhibit a 5x larger actuation speed compared to carbon-coated dielectric films is shown. The influence of coating thickness on the mechanical stiffness and blocking force is also examined.