Preparation method of self-powered self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation method of a self-powered self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator. The method comprises the following steps: step 1, pretreatment of an IPMC base film; step 2, chemical plating of the IPMC base membrane; and step 3, assembling the IPMC and the [mu] DMFC. The structure of the IPMC bionic muscle and the structure of the flexible [mu] DMFC are innovatively complemented, packaged and integrated, and the IPMC serves as a self-sensing driving device and also serves as an end plate of the flexible [mu] DMFC; the mu DMFC not only provides an energy source required by the IPMC, but also can improve the hydration problem of an IPMC base membrane through a high-humidity environment in the mu DMFC, so that the stability of the self-sensing driving performance of the IPMC and the service life of the IPMC are ensured. According to the invention, the integrated packaging integration of the IPMC as the composite device of the mu DMFC battery pack flexible end plate is realized, the hydration environment and energy supply of the IPMC are ensured, and the integration of multiple functions of sensing, response, driving and power supply is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a micro actuator suitable for soft robots, and particularly to a preparation method of a self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator. Background Art

[0002] Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) are a new type of flexible functional materials that can generate large-amplitude shape changes under electric field excitation. They are called bionic muscles and have the advantages of low driving voltage, large deformation, and convenient application. They can be used as both actuators and sensors. However, in the actual application process, IPMCs need ion hydration to work. If directly exposed to the air, the electrolysis of the applied voltage and the evaporation of water will significantly affect the actuation performance of IPMCs and shorten their service life. Therefore, in order to use IPMCs as actuators / sensors in actual applications, it is necessary to select appropriate encapsulation materials and optimize the encapsulation structure to ensure their consistent response and service life in different environments. In addition, although IPMC materials have ideal soft mechanical properties, in their application research as actuators / sensors, they still require external circuit power supply and lack an effective energy management method similar to the electromechanical system in biological organisms in nature as a whole.

[0003] A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction. It can provide continuous electrical energy output under the continuous supply of fuel (hydrogen, methanol, methane, etc.). Compared with other energy supply methods such as lithium batteries and solar cells, fuel cells have higher energy conversion efficiency and energy density, do not require charging, and have limited environmental impact. Therefore, they can better meet the power supply requirements of micro robots during long-term autonomous operation. Among various fuel cells, the passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has the advantages of simple structure, high conversion efficiency, low-temperature startability, easy encapsulation and integration, etc. Moreover, the energy density of liquid methanol as the fuel is as high as 4900 Wh / L (methanol density 0.8 kg / L), making the DMFC have a high theoretical specific energy and having good application prospects in the field of micro robots. In order to match the needs of bionic flexible structures such as IPMCs for flexible energy supply devices, two-dimensional flexible materials can be used as current collectors and flexible materials such as PDMS can be used for encapsulation design to achieve the flexibility of the micro fuel cell structure. At the same time, the planar structure characteristics of μDMFC and the high-humidity environment inside provide a new idea for the integrated encapsulation design of the functional structure of IPMC bionic muscles, and are expected to simultaneously solve the needs of soft robots for high-driving-performance actuators and high-specific-energy micro energy sources. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention addresses the driving technology problems and energy supply technology problems of soft robots, and provides a preparation method for a self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator. The present invention integrally packages and integrates the IPMC bionic muscle and the flexible μDMFC structure in a complementary manner, realizing the integrated packaging of the composite device with the IPMC as the flexible end plate of the μDMFC battery pack, ensuring the hydration environment and energy supply of the IPMC, and achieving the multi-functional integration of sensing - response - driving - power supply.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A preparation method for a self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step 1. Pretreatment of the IPMC base film:

[0008] Step 1.1. Polish the IPMC base film to make the surface matte. Among them: Commercial Nafion membranes such as models 117, 115, 212, etc. can be directly used as the IPMC base film, or the IPMC base film can be prepared by oneself. The specific steps are as follows:

[0009] Step (1) Mix the Nafion solution and the DMF solution and pour them into a casting mold. After mixing evenly, perform ultrasonic treatment to remove the bubbles in the solution. Among them: The volume ratio of the Nafion solution to the DMF solution is 1 - 10:1;

[0010] Step (2) Place the casting mold in a vacuum drying oven and heat it to completely volatilize the solvent in the Nafion solution;

[0011] Step (3) When the solvent is completely volatilized, perform annealing treatment on the Nafion solution, and the Nafion base film cools with the furnace;

[0012] Step 1.2. Wash the polished IPMC base film with ultrapure water and perform ultrasonic cleaning to remove the impurities attached to the surface;

[0013] Step 1.3. Place the IPMC base film in dilute hydrochloric acid and heat it to remove the inorganic impurities on the surface of the base film;

[0014] Step 1.4. Take out the IPMC base film, wash it repeatedly with ultrapure water, and heat it in ultrapure water to remove the drug residues;

[0015] Step 1.5. Take out the IPMC base film, heat it in hydrogen peroxide to remove the organic impurities on the surface of the base film;

[0016] Step 1.6. Take out the IPMC base film, wash it with ultrapure water and then heat it to remove the drug residues and make the film fully swell;

[0017] Step 2: Electroless plating of the IPMC base film

[0018] Step 2-1: Immerse the base film treated in Step 1 in dilute sulfuric acid (0.1 mol / L) for 20 - 60 minutes to allow hydrogen ions to penetrate into the interior of the base film, turning it into an H-ion exchange membrane. Then, leave the base film static in a [Pt(NH3)4]Cl2 solution with a concentration of 0.005 - 0.1 mol / L for 5 - 20 hours, and add 0.5 - 2 ml of diluted 2 - 10% NH4OH solution to allow [Pt(NH3)4]2 + to penetrate into the membrane and complete the ion adsorption process. Among them, 1.5 - 10 mg of platinum particles are deposited on each square centimeter of the base film;

[0019] Step 2-2: Main electroless plating

[0020] (1) Add 50 - 80 ml of deionized water to a beaker, heat it to 40 - 50 °C, clamp both sides of the base film with clips and hang it in the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the base film;

[0021] (3) When the temperature of the solution in the beaker stabilizes at 40 - 50 °C, heat for 2 - 10 min, add 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution, after heating for 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 43 °C, and then after 10 - 20 min, raise the temperature to 44 °C while adding 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution; thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 25 - 35 min while adding 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution; when the temperature rises to 62 °C, add 100.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution at one time, allow it to react continuously for 80 - 100 min, and then let it cool naturally;

[0022] (4) When the material cools to room temperature, take it out, wash it with deionized water, and soak it in hydrochloric acid to remove impurities inside the base film;

[0023] Step 2-3: Secondary electroless plating

[0024] (1) Boil the IPMC obtained in Step 2-2 in deionized water to remove HCl inside the membrane;

[0025] (2) Add 30 - 50 ml of platinum ammonia complex solution to a beaker, heat it to 40 - 45 °C, clamp both sides of the base film with clips and hang it in the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the initial IPMC;

[0026] (3) After preheating for 5 - 15 min, add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution. After 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 43 °C. After another 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 44 °C, and add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution. Thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 25 - 35 min, and add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution until the temperature rises to 62 °C, then stop heating;

[0027] (4) After the solution cools down, stop heating, take out the plated film, rinse it with deionized water, soak it in hydrochloric acid to remove the impurities inside the film;

[0028] (5) Boil it in water at 80 - 100 °C for 20 - 40 min to remove the residual HCl and obtain IPMC. If the surface resistance of the prepared IPMC is greater than 30 Ω, repeat the electroless plating process until the surface resistance is lower than 30 Ω;

[0029] Step Three: Assembly of IPMC and μDMFC:

[0030] Step Three - One: Using PTFE as the raw material, prepare the fuel chamber and cathode end - plate casting molds;

[0031] Step Three - Two: Uniformly mix the PDMS prepolymer and the cross - linker at a ratio of 5 - 15:1. After vacuum degassing treatment, pour it into the fuel chamber mold. The IPMC prepared by electroless plating in Step Two is placed at the bottom of the fuel chamber. PDMS is cured at 80 - 100 °C to finally form a fuel chamber with IPMC as the bottom plate, and fill the fuel chamber with super - hydrophilic carbon aerogel or other porous media with methanol adsorption capacity as the fuel storage and supply structure;

[0032] Step Three - Three: Engrave a strip - shaped or dot - matrix - shaped cathode flow - field structure on the IPMC by cutting, stamping, etc. Subsequently, place the IPMC with the cathode flow - field structure, the cathode current collector plate, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector plate, and the fuel chamber with IPMC as the bottom plate and filled with super - hydrophilic carbon aerogel at the corresponding positions in the cathode end - plate mold in sequence. Slowly inject the uniform mixture of PDMS and curing agent into the cathode end - plate mold, cure it with the fuel chamber at 80 - 100 °C to form an integral structure and seal the membrane electrode into it to realize the integrated structure of IPMC and μDMFC.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] The present invention innovatively integrates the complementary packaging of IPMC bionic muscle and flexible μDMFC structures. The IPMC not only serves as a self-sensing driving device but also as the end plate of the flexible μDMFC; the μDMFC not only provides the energy source required by the IPMC but also the high-humidity environment inside it can improve the hydration problem of the IPMC base membrane, thereby ensuring the stability of the self-sensing driving performance of the IPMC and its service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 Front view of a bionic flexible micro actuator with self-power supply and self-sensing;

[0036] Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of a bionic flexible micro actuator with self-power supply and self-sensing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings, but are not limited thereto. Any modification or equivalent replacement of the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention shall be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] This example provides a preparation method for a bionic flexible micro actuator with self-power supply and self-sensing. The method includes the following steps:

[0040] Step 1: Prepare the IPMC base membrane using DuPont Nafion membrane solution D520.

[0041] The casting mold used to prepare the Nafion base membrane is a self-made silicone groove with dimensions of 40mm×25mm×30mm (length×width×height). According to the formula: V = 4×2.5×b×k / 5% (b is the thickness of the Nafion base membrane, cm; k is the proportionality coefficient, approximately 1.1), the volume V of the Nafion solution required, in ml, can be calculated. Existing experiments have shown that when the addition amount of DMF is 1 / 4 of the Nafion solution, a good film-forming effect is achieved. The specific process is as follows:

[0042] (1) Wash the instruments required for the experiment, such as the casting groove, measuring cylinder, beaker, etc.

[0043] (2) Mix 14 ml of a 5% Nafion solution (V = 14 in this example) and 1 / 4V ml of DMF solution, pour the mixture into the casting mold, place a magnetic stirrer, stir for 2 h to make the Nafion and DMF evenly mixed, and ultrasonically treat for 30 min to remove the bubbles in the solution.

[0044] (3) Place the casting mold in a vacuum drying oven and heat it at 70 °C for 40 hours to completely evaporate the solvent in the Nafion solution.

[0045] (4) To make the cast Nafion-based membrane have sufficient stiffness, annealing treatment is carried out. When the solvent has completely evaporated and the Nafion solution has basically formed a film, adjust the temperature to 90 °C and keep it for 2 h, then raise the temperature to 100 °C and keep it for 2 h, and finally adjust the temperature to 120 °C and keep it for 30 min, and then turn off the vacuum drying oven.

[0046] (5) The Nafion-based membrane is cooled with the furnace.

[0047] Step 2: Pretreatment of the IPMC-based membrane.

[0048] (1) Manually polish with metallographic sandpaper (W10) to make the surface matte. Pay attention to controlling the force during polishing and ensure the same uniformity (depth and density) on both sides.

[0049] (2) Wash the polished ion exchange membrane with ultrapure water for 15 minutes, place it in a beaker, and put it into an ultrasonic cleaner and oscillate for 20 minutes to remove the attached impurities on the surface.

[0050] (3) Place the ion exchange membrane in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl, 2 mol / L), heat it to 80 °C and keep it warm for more than 1 hour to remove the inorganic impurities on the surface of the base membrane.

[0051] (4) Take out the ion exchange membrane, wash it repeatedly with ultrapure water, and heat it to 100 °C in ultrapure water and keep it warm for more than 30 minutes to remove the drug residues.

[0052] (5) Take out the ion exchange membrane, heat it to 80 °C in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 15%) and keep it warm for more than 30 minutes to remove the organic impurities on the surface of the ion exchange membrane.

[0053] (6) Wash with ultrapure water, heat it to 100 °C and keep it warm for more than 30 minutes to remove the drug residues and fully swell the membrane, and the treatment is completed.

[0054] Step 3: Electroless plating of the IPMC-based membrane.

[0055] According to the surface area of the basement membrane, the volume of [Pt(NH3)4]Cl2 solution required is calculated according to the ratio of depositing 3.5 mg of platinum particles per square centimeter of area. Since the platinum-ammonia complex is extremely prone to hydrolysis reaction in water, a certain amount of ammonia water with a mass fraction of 5 wt% is added to the platinum-ammonia solution to reverse the hydrolysis reaction. The roughened basement membrane is immersed in the prepared [Pt(NH3)4]Cl2 solution and stored in the dark for about 12 h so that the basement membrane can adsorb sufficient platinum-ammonia complex to complete the ion adsorption process. Then, the IPMC is prepared by primary electroless plating and secondary electroless plating.

[0056] Primary electroless plating is one of the most important steps in the preparation of IPMC. The process is as follows:

[0057] (1) Add 30 mg of NaBH4 and 100 mg of NaOH to 20 ml of deionized water to prepare a NaBH4 reducing agent solution with a solute mass fraction of 1.5%.

[0058] (2) Select appropriate experimental instruments. Add 60 ml of deionized water and 0.83 ml of ammonia water to a beaker to obtain ammonia water with a mass fraction of 5 wt%. Heat it to 42 °C with a magnetic heating stirrer, set the stirring speed to 120 r / min, clamp both sides of the basement membrane with clips and hang it in the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the basement membrane.

[0059] (3) When the temperature of the solution in the beaker stabilizes at 42 °C, heat for 5 min, add 0.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution, adjust the temperature to 43 °C after heating for 15 min, and then raise the temperature to 44 °C after another 15 min while adding 0.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution. Thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 30 min while adding 0.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution. When the temperature rises to 62 °C, add 100.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution at one time, make it react continuously for 90 min, and then turn off the instrument and let it cool naturally. At this time, the Nafion-based membrane has adhered a thin layer of platinum metal particles and is bright white, which is the initial IPMC material.

[0060] (4) When the material cools to room temperature, take it out, wash it with deionized water, and soak it in hydrochloric acid with a solute mass fraction of 2% for 12 h to remove impurities in the base membrane and prepare for secondary electroless plating.

[0061] After primary electroless plating, there is a very thin electrode on the surface of the initial IPMC, but it is not dense, has poor electrical conductivity, and is easy to break. In order to make the IPMC have better bending performance and longer service life, secondary electroless plating, that is, secondary electroless plating, is carried out in the preparation. The specific process is as follows:

[0062] (1) Add 450 mg of NH₂OH·HCl to 30 ml of deionized water to prepare an NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution with a solute mass fraction of 25%.

[0063] (2) Add 4 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O to 6 ml of deionized water to prepare an NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution with a solute mass fraction of 30%.

[0064] (3) Weigh 1 mg of platinum amine complex and dissolve it in 40 ml of water to obtain a platinum amine complex solution.

[0065] (4) Place the initial IPMC into deionized water and boil it at 80 °C for 30 min to remove HCl inside the membrane.

[0066] (5) Similar to the method of electroless plating, select appropriate experimental instruments. Add the prepared platinum amine complex solution to a beaker, heat it to 42 °C with a magnetic heating stirrer, and set the stirring speed to 120 r / min. Clamp both sides of the base film and hang it into the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the initial IPMC.

[0067] (6) After preheating for 10 min, add 1 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.5 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution. After 15 min, adjust the temperature to 43 °C, and at this time, no reducing agent solution needs to be added. After another 15 min, adjust the temperature to 44 °C, and add 1 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.5 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution. Thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 30 min, and add 1 ml of NH₂OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.5 ml of NH₂NH₂·1.5H₂O mixed solution until the temperature rises to 62 °C, then stop heating.

[0068] (7) Stop heating after the solution cools down, take out the plated film, rinse it with deionized water, and soak it in 2% hydrochloric acid for 12 h to remove impurities inside the membrane.

[0069] (8) Boil it at 80 °C for 30 min to remove the remaining HCl to obtain IPMC. If the surface resistance of the prepared IPMC is greater than 30 Ω, repeat the electroless plating process until the surface resistance is lower than 30 Ω.

[0070] Step Four: Assembly of IPMC and μDMFC.

[0071] (1) Using PTFE as the raw material, prepare fuel cavity and cathode end plate casting molds by means of 3D printing, laser cutting, etc.

[0072] (2) Mix PDMS and the curing agent evenly at a ratio of 10:1. After vacuum degassing treatment, pour it into the internal part of the fuel chamber mold. Place the IPMC at the bottom of the fuel chamber. Cure the PDMS at 80 °C to finally form a fuel chamber with the IPMC as the bottom plate, and fill the fuel chamber with superhydrophilic carbon aerogel as the fuel storage and supply structure.

[0073] (3) Stack the anode electrode (including the anode diffusion layer and the anode catalyst layer), the proton exchange membrane, and the cathode electrode (including the cathode diffusion layer and the cathode catalyst layer) in sequence, and hot press for 3 - 5 minutes under the conditions of 135 °C and 5 Mpa to complete the preparation of the membrane electrode.

[0074] (4) Engrave a strip-shaped cathode flow field structure on the IPMC by cutting. Subsequently, place the IPMC with the cathode flow field structure, the cathode current collector plate, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector plate, and the fuel chamber with the IPMC as the bottom plate and filled with superhydrophilic carbon aerogel as the fuel storage and supply structure at the corresponding positions on the cathode end plate mold in sequence. Slowly inject the evenly mixed PDMS and the curing agent into the cathode end plate mold, cure it with the fuel chamber at 80 °C to form an integrated structure and seal the membrane electrode into it to realize the integrated structure of the IPMC and the μDMFC. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the IPMC serves as the end plate structure on both sides of the μDMFC. The structure of the μDMFC includes the cathode / anode current collector plates, the cathode / anode diffusion layers, the cathode / anode catalyst layers, the proton exchange membrane, and the solid-state fuel supply structure based on superhydrophilic carbon aerogel.

[0075] Example 2:

[0076] The difference between this example and Example 1 is that the superhydrophilic carbon aerogel is changed to porous sponge or filter paper.

[0077] Example 3:

[0078] The difference between this example and Example 1 is that step 1 is changed to directly use a commercial Nafion membrane as the IPMC base membrane, such as models 117, 115, 212, etc.

Claims

1. A preparation method of a self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible micro actuator, characterized in that The method includes the following steps: Step 1. Pretreatment of the IPMC base film: Step 1.

1. Polish the IPMC base film to make its surface matte. Step 1.

2. Wash the polished IPMC base film with ultrapure water and ultrasonic clean it to remove the impurities attached to the surface. Step 1.

3. Place the IPMC base film in dilute hydrochloric acid and heat it to remove the inorganic impurities on the surface of the base film. Step 1.

4. Take out the IPMC base film, wash it repeatedly with ultrapure water, and heat it in ultrapure water to remove the drug residues. Step 1.

5. Take out the IPMC base film, heat it in hydrogen peroxide to remove the organic impurities on the surface of the base film. Step 1.

6. Take out the IPMC base film, wash it with ultrapure water and then heat it to remove the drug residues and fully swell the film. Step 2. Electroless plating of the IPMC base film: Step 2-1: Place the base film treated in Step 1 in dilute sulfuric acid for 20 to 60 minutes to allow hydrogen ions to penetrate into the interior of the base film, turning it into an H ion exchange membrane. Then, statically place the base film in a [Pt(NH3)4]Cl2 solution with a concentration of 0.005 to 0.1 mol / L for 5 to 20 hours, and add 0.5 to 2 ml of diluted 2 to 10% NH4OH solution to allow [Pt(NH3)4]2 + to penetrate into the membrane, completing the ion adsorption process; Step 2.

2. Main electroless plating: (1) Add 50 - 80 ml of deionized water to a beaker, heat it to 40 - 50 °C, clamp both sides of the base film with clips and hang it in the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the base film. (3) When the solution temperature in the beaker is stable at 40 - 50 °C, heat for 2 - 10 min, add 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution, after heating for 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 43 °C, and then after 10 - 20 min, raise the temperature to 44 °C and add 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution at the same time; thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 25 - 35 min and add 0.1 - 1.0 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution at the same time; when the temperature rises to 62 °C, add 100.67 ml of NaBH4 reducing agent solution at one time, let it react continuously for 80 - 100 min, and then let it cool naturally. (4) When the material cools to room temperature, take it out, wash it with deionized water, and soak it in hydrochloric acid to remove the impurities in the base film. Step 2.

3. Secondary electroless plating: (1) Boil the IPMC obtained in Step 2.2 in deionized water to remove the HCl in the film. (2) Add 30 - 50 ml of platinum amine complex solution to a beaker, heat it to 40 - 45 °C, clamp both sides of the base film with clips and hang it in the beaker so that the deionized water just covers the initial IPMC. (3) After preheating for 5 - 15 min, add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH2OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH2NH2·1.5H2O mixed solution. After 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 43 °C, and then after 10 - 20 min, adjust the temperature to 44 °C, and add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH2OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH2NH2·1.5H2O mixed solution; thereafter, raise the temperature by 3 °C every 25 - 35 min, and add 0.8 - 1.5 ml of NH2OH·HCl mixed solution and 0.2 - 0.6 ml of NH2NH2·1.5H2O mixed solution until the temperature rises to 62 °C, then stop heating. (4) Stop heating after the solution cools, take out the plated film, rinse it with deionized water, and soak it in hydrochloric acid to remove the impurities in the film. (5) Boil in water at 80 - 100 °C for 20 - 40 min to remove the residual HCl and obtain the IPMC. If the surface resistance of the prepared IPMC is greater than 30 Ω, repeat the electroless plating process until the surface resistance is lower than 30 Ω; Step Three: Assembly of IPMC and μDMFC Step Three - One: Using PTFE as the raw material, prepare the fuel chamber and cathode end plate casting molds; Step Three - Two: Uniformly mix the PDMS prepolymer and cross - linker at a ratio of 5 - 15:

1. After vacuum degassing, pour it into the fuel chamber mold. The IPMC prepared by electroless plating in Step Two is placed at the bottom of the fuel chamber. PDMS is cured at 80 - 100 °C to finally form a fuel chamber with IPMC as the bottom plate, and a superhydrophilic carbon aerogel or a porous medium with methanol adsorption capacity is filled in the fuel chamber as the fuel storage and supply structure; Step Three - Three: Engrave a strip - shaped or dot - matrix - shaped cathode flow field structure on the IPMC. Subsequently, place the IPMC with the cathode flow field structure, the cathode current collector plate, the membrane electrode, the anode current collector plate, and the fuel chamber with IPMC as the bottom plate and filled with superhydrophilic carbon aerogel at the corresponding positions of the cathode end plate mold in sequence. Slowly inject the uniform mixture of PDMS and curing agent into the cathode end plate mold, and cure it with the fuel chamber at 80 - 100 °C to form an integrated structure and seal the membrane electrode into it, realizing the integrated structure of IPMC and μDMFC.

2. The preparation method of the self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible microactuator according to claim 1, characterized in that The specific steps of Step One - One are as follows: Step (1) Mix the Nafion solution and DMF solution and pour them into the casting mold. After mixing evenly, perform ultrasonic treatment to remove the bubbles in the solution; Step (2) Place the casting mold in a vacuum drying oven and heat it to completely volatilize the solvent in the Nafion solution; Step (3) When the solvent is completely volatilized, perform annealing treatment on the Nafion solution, and the Nafion - based membrane cools with the furnace.

3. The preparation method of the self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible microactuator according to claim 2, characterized in that The volume ratio of the Nafion solution to the DMF solution is 1 - 10:

1.

4. The preparation method of the self-powered and self-sensing bionic flexible microactuator according to claim 1, wherein In Step Two - One, 1.5 - 10 mg of platinum particles are precipitated per square centimeter of the base membrane.

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