Molecular Semiconductor-Induced Deep Trapping Enables Ultrahigh-Performance Dielectric Elastomers

Dielectric elastomer actuators are ideal drivers for next-generation soft robots due to their large electroactive deformations. However, conventional dielectric elastomers suffer from insufficient breakdown strength and high mechanical loss, which limits their ability to meet the demanding requirements of advanced robotics for high energy and power densities. Herein, we propose a versatile strategy for incorporating organic molecular semiconductors into the dielectric elastomer network. This design simultaneously achieves high breakdown strength (82 V μm–1), desirable modulus, elasticity, and large electro-actuation strain (174%). Consequently, the optimized elastomer delivers a high energy density (169 J kg–1) and an ultrahigh power density (3000 W kg–1), surpassing natural muscle by 8-fold and outperforming all reported dielectric elastomers. A demonstrated light-emitting, fast-moving soft robot further highlights the material’s multifunctional application potential.