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Organic Actuators

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Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology

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Synonyms

Soft actuators

Definition

Organic actuators are energy transducers that are made of organic materials such as stimuli-responsive gels or polymers and able to act upon their external environment by converting input energy into mechanical work.

Overview

Organic actuators have shown their considerable potential for the applications in medical devices, prostheses, robotics, toys, biomimetic devices, and micro/nanoelectromechanical systems. Compared to conventional metallic and ceramic actuators, the advantages of organic actuators are flexibility, light weight, low cost, and quiet operation compliance. Many actuators that respond to various external stimuli have been developed using polymers as base materials: polymer gels, cross-linked liquid crystal polymers, conducting polymers, and shape memory polymers. As Fig. 1shows, the promise of developing organic actuators has inspired scientists for decades and led to the design and operation of polymers that exhibit mechanically...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Yuyun Liu & Yanlei Yu

Authors
  1. Yuyun Liu
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  2. Yanlei Yu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yuyun Liu or Yanlei Yu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biomimetics (NLB²), Ohio State University Nanoprobe Lab. for Bio- & Nanotechnology, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Bharat Bhushan

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Liu, Y., Yu, Y. (2015). Organic Actuators. In: Bhushan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6178-0_13-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6178-0_13-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6178-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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