Bending deformation of neutral polymer gels induced by electric fields

A new driving mechanism was developed to induce deformation of neutral polymer gels in a non-conductive medium. The main idea was to incorporate finely distributed colloidal particles into a swollen network responding to electric field. Since the particles cannot leave the gel matrix, so that all of the forces acting on the particles are directly transmitted to the polymer chains, resulting in either the locomotion or the deformation of the gel. Structural formation of TiO2 particles dispersed in silicon oil and bending deformation of weakly crosslinked poly(dimethyl siloxane) gels containing finely distributed TiO2 particles have been studied. Under electric field these gels undergo a significant and quick bending. We have found that undulation of the electric field-sensitive gel can be realised by a modulated field between several pairs of parallel copper electrode plates. These findings may provide a new principle of building soft electromechanical actuators.