Electroluminescent soft elastomer actuators with adjustable luminance and strain.

We demonstrate a multifunctional soft actuator that exhibits both electroluminescence (EL) and soft actuation with a strain of 85% and a maximum luminance of 300 cd m-2, superior to previous devices with individual functions. This was possible by combining several strategies such as the development of highly conductive, transparent, and stretchable electrodes, incorporation of high-k nanoparticles to increase the electric field applied to the EL particles, and application of AC + DC composite signals to simplify the device structure. We expect this research to contribute to the development of new soft devices that can further enhance human-machine interactions in color displaying actuator applications.

Enhancement of the Electroluminescence and Strain Properties of Dielectric Elastomeric Actuators Using Liquid Metal Reflectors.

We report on the enhancement of the light-emitting and mechanical performance of multifunctional dielectric elastomeric actuators by combining liquid eutectic gallium indium metal with a stretchable and transparent hybrid electrode composed of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The device shows improved optical properties, electrical conductivity, and stability for electroluminescent dielectric elastomer actuators compared with previous works. Combining single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) with AgNWs impeded the chemical reaction between the liquid metal and AgNWs, resulting in a more stable operation of the device. The maximum luminance and maximum strain of the electroluminescent dielectric elastomer actuator increased by 50% (from 300 to 450 cd m-2) and 44% (from 85 to 122%), respectively.