A compliant electrode material is presented that was inspired by the electroding process used to manufacture ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs). However, instead of an ion-exchange membrane, a UV-curable acrylated urethane elastomer is employed. The electrode material consists of the UV-curable elastomer (Loctite 3108) loaded with tetraammineplatinum(II) chloride salt particles through physical mixing and homogenization. The composite material is made conductive by immersion in a reducing agent, sodium borohydride, which reduces the salt to platinum metal on the surface of the elastomer film. Because the noble metal is mixed into the elastomer precursor as a salt, the amount of UV light absorbed by the precursor is not significantly reduced, and the composite loses little photopatternability. As a result meso-scale electrodes of varying geometries can be formed by exposing the precursor/salt mixture through a mask. The materials are mechanically and electrically characterized. The percolation threshold of the composite is estimated to be 9 vol. % platinum salt, above which the compliant electrode material exhibits a maximum conductivity of 1 S/cm. The composite maintains its electrical conductivity under axial tensile strains of up to 40%.
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