title: Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet electrode-based high-performance ionic actuator.
abstract: Ionic actuators have attracted attention due to their remarkably large strain under low-voltage stimulation. Because actuation performance is mainly dominated by the electrochemical and electromechanical processes of the electrode layer, the electrode material and structure are crucial. Here, we report a graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet electrode-based ionic actuator that displays high electrochemical activity and electromechanical conversion abilities, including large specific capacitance (259.4 F g(-1)) with ionic liquid as the electrolyte, fast actuation response (0.5±0.03% in 300 ms), large electromechanical strain (0.93±0.03%) and high actuation stability (100,000 cycles) under 3 V. The key to the high performance lies in the hierarchical pore structure with dominant size <2 nm, optimal pyridinic nitrogen active sites (6.78%) and effective conductivity (382 S m(-1)) of the electrode. Our study represents an important step towards artificial muscle technology in which heteroatom modulation in electrodes plays an important role in promoting electrochemical actuation performance.
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xueli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Institut des Matériaux, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 5 mail Gay-Lussac, 95031 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Whoehling
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Institut des Matériaux, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 5 mail Gay-Lussac, 95031 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plesse
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Institut des Matériaux, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 5 mail Gay-Lussac, 95031 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Giao T M
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Polymères et des Interfaces, Institut des Matériaux, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 5 mail Gay-Lussac, 95031 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: i-Lab, Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen