Electroactive Paper Actuator Made with Chitosan‐Cellulose Films: Effect of Acetic Acid

This paper introduces an electroactive paper (EAPap) prepared with cellulose and chitosan films. The fabrication process, performance test, and the effect of acetic acid dosage of the EAPap were investigated. For the fabrication of cellulose EAPap, cellulose fibers were dissolved into a solution using N,N‐dimethylacetamide and lithium chloride. The solution was cast and immersed in water to form a cellulose film, followed by casting chitosan/acetic acid and glycerol aqueous solutions on the cellulose film. A bending EAPap actuator was made by depositing thin gold electrodes on both sides of the cellulose film. The bending displacement of the EAPap actuators was evaluated with respect to voltage, frequency, humidity, and acetic acid dosage. An optimum mole ratio of the acetic acid and chitosan structure unit was found. Also, the effects of chitosan and acetic acid on the actuation behavior of the cellulose‐chitosan laminated films were investigated. magnified image