Electrical and mechanical characterization of nanoscale-layered cellulose-based electro-active paper.

In order to understand the electro-mechanical behavior of piezoelectric electro active paper (EAPap), the converse and direct piezoelectric characterization of cellulose EAPap was studied and compared. A delay between the electrical field and the induced strain of EAPap was observed due to the inner nano-voids or the localized amorphous regions in layer-by-layered structure to capture or hold the electrical charges and remnant ions. The linear relation between electric field and induced strain is also observed.

Highly durable, biomimetic electro-active paper actuator based on cellulose polypyrrole-ionic liquid (CPIL) nanocomposite.

Cellulose has received much attention as a emerging smart material, named as electro-active paper (EAPap), which can produce a large bending displacement with applied external electrical field. In spite of many advantages over other reported electro active polymers, there are some issues to be addressed: its actuator performance: (i) sensitive to environmental humidity, (ii) humidity dependent displacement output of the actuator and (iii) degradation of performance with time. In present paper, we have successfully developed the highly durable EAPap actuator working at ambient condition with large displacement output.

Paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials.

Recently, cellulose has been re-discovered as a smart material that can be used as sensor and actuator materials, which is termed electro-active paper (EAPap). This paper reports recent advances in paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Two distinct actuator principles in EAPap actuators are demonstrated: piezoelectric effect and ion migration effect in cellulose.