Recently there has been an increase in demand for soft and biocompatible electronic devices capable of withstanding large stretch. Ionically conductive polymers present a promising class of soft materials for these emerging applications due to their ability to realize charge transport across the polymer network, while preserving the desired mechanical and chemical features. As opposed to electron transfer in traditional electrical conductors, the charge transport across these polymers is achieved through ion migration. When such materials are used in combination with electrical systems, they are known as ionotronic devices. The ability to simulate device performance based on its material composition and geometry would accelerate and improve ionotronic device design. The main challenge in developing reliable simulation capabilities for ionically conductive polymers is the complex and coupled electro-chemo-mechanical behavior. In this work we address this challenge by introducing a multiphysics framework incorporating the coupled effects of ion transport, electric fields and large deformation. The utility of the developed multiphysics model is showcased by simulating representative ion transport problems and the operation of soft ionotronic devices.

最近，对能够承受大拉伸的柔软且生物相容的电子设备的需求有所增加。离子导电聚合物为这些新兴应用提供了一类有前途的软材料，因为它们能够实现跨聚合物网络的电荷传输，同时保留所需的机械和化学特性。与传统电导体中的电子转移相反，通过这些聚合物的电荷转移是通过离子迁移实现的。当这些材料与电气系统结合使用时，它们被称为离子电子器件。基于材料成分和几何形状模拟设备性能的能力将加速和改进离子电子设备设计。为离子导电聚合物开发可靠模拟能力的主要挑战是复杂且耦合的电化学-机械行为。在这项工作中，我们通过引入结合离子传输、电场和大变形的耦合效应的多物理场框架来应对这一挑战。通过模拟具有代表性的离子传输问题和软离子电子器件的操作，展示了所开发的多物理场模型的实用性。