Multilayer Assembly of Dielectric Actuators Based on a Reversibly Crosslinkable Silicone Elastomer

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) function as deformable capacitors capable of generating mechanical work under an applied electric field. Despite their promise, the practical deployment of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is limited by challenges in scalable fabrication and achieving high mechanical output. In this work, a high-performance, reversibly crosslinkable DE is presented based on a tailored polysiloxane network. By optimizing ratio of short- and long-chain segments, the elastomer exhibits enhanced electromechanical performance, achieving a maximum areal strain of 19.09% at 18 kV mm⁻¹ without the need for prestretching—outperforming conventional DE materials. Furthermore, an efficient, scalable, and high-yield dry stacking process that is introduced, enables the fabrication of multilayer actuators while maintaining the superior performance of single-layer films. As a demonstration, a lightweight soft gripper based on this actuator effectively manipulates complex and delicate objects, lifting loads up to 500 times its own weight using a combination of electroadhesion and dielectric actuation. These results highlight the potential of this dielectric elastomer for advancing soft robotics and next-generation flexible actuators technologies.