TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OPPORTUNITY: All-Organic Electroactive Device (LAR-TOPS-48)

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.THE TECHNOLOGY:NASA's Langley Research Center offers you an all-organic electroactive device system fabricated with single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT). The enhanced design offers higher electroactive performance in comparison with conventional electroactive device systems fabricated with metal electrodes or other conducting polymers. The new structure allows for significant improvement of the electroactive strain due to relief of the constraint on the electroactive layer. It exhibits superb actuation properties and can withstand high temperatures with improved mechanical integrity and chemical stability. In addition, the electroactive

device can be made transparent, allowing for use in optical devices. NASA is seeking development partners and potential licensees.NASA Langley developed a novel all-organic actuator with SWCNT film electrode because commonly used metal electrodes such as silver and gold tend to constrain displacement (elongation or contraction) of an electroactive polymer at the interface. The actual output strain of the metal devices is smaller than what they can intrinsically provide. Many alternative electrode materials that could relieve the strain of movement, such as conducting polymers, have been proposed, but they are usually not thermally stable enough for most applications. The innovation is the new method for creating the all-organic flexible SWCNT film electrode, which has high conductivity and good thermal stability. SWCNTs are first dispersed into a solution and then filtered onto the surface of a porous anodized alumina membrane to form a SWCNT film. The SWCNT film is separated by breaking the brittle alumina membrane and delaminating the film. Adjusting the concentration and quantity of SWCNT solution used allows for a wide range of width and thickness for SWCNT films. The SWCNT film has the potential to be made thin enough to be transparent. The SWCNT film is then used to form the all-organic electroactive device system that can be used as an actuator. An electroactive polymer (LaRC-EAP) sandwiched by the SWCNT electrodes is fabricated by pressing the layers together at 600, 3000, and 6000 psi. By controlling the fabrication pressure, the level of physical properties, which can match with the electroactive polymers, can be adjusted and tailored appropriately.To express interest in this opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-TOPS-48If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.