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Porous nanocarbon particles drive large magnitude and fast photomechanical actuators

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Abstract

Better NIR (near infrared)-driven photomechanical actuation than reported for films containing carbon nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes and graphene has been achieved by incorporating porous carbon nanoparticles (PCNs) into single-layer films of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The PCNs being obtained from a bio-waste source adds an exciting dimension to this work. The specific surface area (Asurf) of the pores, controlled using the pyrolization temperature and varying over a factor of 600 is seen to have a strong influence on the magnitude of the actuation as well as the time response of light-driven and relaxation processes. The quantity of the curing agent polymerizing the PDMS also has a notable role. The already significant actuation realized for single-layer films can be further enhanced (factor of two) by backing the PDMS film with an ultrathin gold layer. This addition, however, provides a novel way to control the direction of actuation, being opposite for the single and bilayer films. The mechanical properties obtained from stress versus strain measurements and the morphology of the films as imaged by electron microscopy, besides the coefficient of thermal expansion, have been employed to analyze the various observed behaviors. An important finding from the images is that the crystallinity of the PCNs plays a vital role in the magnitude of actuation: more the amorphous nature, larger is the actuation. Based on the results, which have much for bioengineering applications, a simple photo-stimulated LED switch is also presented.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance (by Mr. Arun D) of the Transmission Electron Microscopy Facility at “Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru”. Funding support from the Thematic project (SR/NM/TP-2 5/2016), Nano Mission, DST, New Delhi, India, is gratefully acknowledged. One of us (PS) thanks DST Inspire for a fellowship. One of the authors Gurumurthy Hegde would like to acknowledge DST-Nanomission for providing financial support with file No SR/NM/NT-1026/2017 for carrying nano-materials related works.

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Author notes

  1. Raghavendra Adiga

    Present address: Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560078, India

  2. Monish Kumar

    Present address: Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering, Navule, Shimoga, 577204, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, 560013, India

    Pragnya Satapathy, Raghavendra Adiga, Monish Kumar & S. Krishna Prasad

  2. Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangalore, India

    Pragnya Satapathy

  3. Centre for Nano-Materials and Displays, B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bengaluru, 560019, India

    Gurumurthy Hegde

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  1. Pragnya Satapathy
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Supplementary Information

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40097_2021_414_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Supplementary file1 See electronic supplementary material for SEM images of the particles and Time series photographs of actuation (DOCX 32218 kb)

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Satapathy, P., Adiga, R., Kumar, M. et al. Porous nanocarbon particles drive large magnitude and fast photomechanical actuators. J Nanostruct Chem 12, 235–248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40097-021-00414-9

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