On November 27th, 2013, Dr. Kinji Asaka from Health Research Institute of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan was invited to visit Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech &Nano-bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SINANO) and gave a talk entitled “Ionic EAP actuators based on nano-carbon electrodes (Bucky-gel actuators)”. The presentation was chaired by Prof. Chen Wei, the investigator of International Laboratory for Adaptive Bio-nanotechnology. Researchers and graduated students attended the lecture. 

First, Dr. Asaka gave a brief introduction of CNTs electrodes based i-EAP actuator from simple fabrication to practical applications. Then, Dr. Asaka analyzed the key factors to affect actuation performance including conductivity of electrode, double layer capacitance and ionic liquids and exemplified the additives to improve the performance of actuator. Additionally, Dr. Asaka used non-Faraday impedance modeling to analysis the mechanism of actuator in interfacial interaction between the electrode structure and ionic liquids. Last, Dr. Asaka reported a superfast-responded actuator based on SG-SWNT electrode, which could response at an applied sinusoidal voltage with a higher frequency of more than 100Hz.

Biography:

KinjiAsaka received his phD degree in Science from Kyoto University in1990. He is currently a Group Leader of the Artificial Cell Research Group, Health Research Institute of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). He is also currently an invited professor of Shinshu University and Wakayama University. His current research interests include interfacial electrochemistry and electroactivepolymer actuators.

(Information Source: Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics, CAS)