Polypyrrole/gold bilayer microactuators are being developed in our laboratory for biomedical applications such as microvalves. To fully open and close the valves, the bilayer hinges must be able to rotate between 0° and 180° within a few seconds against external forces. The layer thicknesses and hinge lengths must therefore be properly designed for the application. However, existing models fail to predict the correct behavior of microfabricated PPy/Au bilayer microactuators. Therefore, additional experimental data are needed to correctly forecast their performance. Bilayer actuators were fabricated with ranges of PPy thicknesses and hinge lengths. Bending angles were recorded through a stereomicroscope in the fully oxidized and reduced states. Isometric forces exerted by the hinges were measured with a force transducer, the output of which was read by a potentiostat and correlated with the applied potentials.
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