Carbon Nanotube Actuators
10.1126/science.284.5418.1340
Crossref journal-article
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Science (221)
Abstract

Electromechanical actuators based on sheets of single-walled carbon nanotubes were shown to generate higher stresses than natural muscle and higher strains than high-modulus ferroelectrics. Like natural muscles, the macroscopic actuators are assemblies of billions of individual nanoscale actuators. The actuation mechanism (quantum chemical–based expansion due to electrochemical double-layer charging) does not require ion intercalation, which limits the life and rate of faradaic conducting polymer actuators. Unlike conventional ferroelectric actuators, low operating voltages of a few volts generate large actuator strains. Predictions based on measurements suggest that actuators using optimized nanotube sheets may eventually provide substantially higher work densities per cycle than any previously known technology.

Bibliography

Baughman, R. H., Cui, C., Zakhidov, A. A., Iqbal, Z., Barisci, J. N., Spinks, G. M., Wallace, G. G., Mazzoldi, A., De Rossi, D., Rinzler, A. G., Jaschinski, O., Roth, S., & Kertesz, M. (1999). Carbon Nanotube Actuators. Science, 284(5418), 1340–1344.

Authors 13
  1. Ray H. Baughman (first)
  2. Changxing Cui (additional)
  3. Anvar A. Zakhidov (additional)
  4. Zafar Iqbal (additional)
  5. Joseph N. Barisci (additional)
  6. Geoff M. Spinks (additional)
  7. Gordon G. Wallace (additional)
  8. Alberto Mazzoldi (additional)
  9. Danilo De Rossi (additional)
  10. Andrew G. Rinzler (additional)
  11. Oliver Jaschinski (additional)
  12. Siegmar Roth (additional)
  13. Miklos Kertesz (additional)
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Dates
Type When
Created 23 years, 1 month ago (July 27, 2002, 5:49 a.m.)
Deposited 1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 13, 2024, 4:27 a.m.)
Indexed 1 week ago (Aug. 31, 2025, 6:36 a.m.)
Issued 26 years, 3 months ago (May 21, 1999)
Published 26 years, 3 months ago (May 21, 1999)
Published Print 26 years, 3 months ago (May 21, 1999)
Funders 0

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@article{Baughman_1999, title={Carbon Nanotube Actuators}, volume={284}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.284.5418.1340}, DOI={10.1126/science.284.5418.1340}, number={5418}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Baughman, Ray H. and Cui, Changxing and Zakhidov, Anvar A. and Iqbal, Zafar and Barisci, Joseph N. and Spinks, Geoff M. and Wallace, Gordon G. and Mazzoldi, Alberto and De Rossi, Danilo and Rinzler, Andrew G. and Jaschinski, Oliver and Roth, Siegmar and Kertesz, Miklos}, year={1999}, month=may, pages={1340–1344} }