550e Fabrication of High Aspect Ratio Gold-Polypyrrole Bilayer Nanobelts as Nanoscale Actuators

Nicha Chartuprayoon1, Youngwoo Rheem1, Bong Young Yoo2, and Nosang V. Myung1. (1) Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Bourns Hall A242, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, (2) Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, South Korea

One dimensional conducting polymer nanostructures exhibit unique physical and chemical properties for many nanotechnology applications and devices such as nanoscale actuators for the NEMS (nanoelectromechanical system). These promising materials can be potentially used for artificial muscle and robotic system. Polypyrrole, PPy, is one of the conducting polymers that can undergo reversible oxidation and reduction reaction, resulting in dilation and contraction in the polymer volume, respectively. Many polypyrrole based macro- and microscale actuators have been demonstrated; however, actuation behavior on PPy-based nanoscale actuators has not been realized. In this research, single gold-polypyrrole bilayer nanobelts will be fabricated via newly developed Lithographically Patterned Nanowire Electrodeposition (LPNE) method. Electrochemically controlled reversible bending of gold-polypyrrole bilayer nanobelts will be carried out and demonstrated.