ABSTRACT
Dielectric elastomers (DEs) constitute an increasingly important category of electroactive polymers. They are in a class of generally soft materials that, upon exposure to an electric stimulus, respond by changing size, shape, or both. Derived from network-forming macromolecules, DEs are lightweight, robust and scalable, and they are capable of exhibiting giant electroactuation strains, high electromechanical efficiencies, and relatively low strain-cycling hysteresis over a broad range of electric fields. Due primarily to their attractive electromechanical attributes, DEs are of growing interest in diverse biomedical, (micro)robotic, and analytical technologies. Since the seminal studies of these electroresponsive materials (initially fabricated mainly from chemically cross-linked acrylic and silicone elastomers), advances in materials design over multiple length scales have resulted in not only improved electromechanical performance but also better mechanistic understanding. We first review the fundamental operating principles of DEs developed from conventional elastomers that undergo isotropic electroactuation and then consider more recent advances at different length scales. At the macroscale, incorporation of oriented fibers within elastomeric matrices is found to have a profound impact on electroactuation by promoting an anisotropic response. At the mesoscale, physically cross-linked thermoplastic elastomer gel networks formed by midblock-swollen triblock copolymers provide a highly tunable alternative to chemically cross-linked elastomers. At the nanoscale, the chemical synthesis of binetwork and bottlebrush elastomers permits extraordinarily enhanced electromechanical performance through targeted integration of inherently prestrained macromolecular networks.
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