Vikash Kaphle

Papers

Total Citations

104

H-Index

About

Vikash Kaphle is a materials scientist whose work sits at the intersection of soft robotics, flexible electronics, and electroactive polymers. His primary research focuses on developing and characterizing novel ionic liquid crystal elastomers (iLCEs) and ionic elastomers for low-voltage actuation and sensing. Kaphle’s most significant contribution is the creation of iLCEs that can be actuated by voltages below 1 V—a breakthrough that dramatically lowers the energy barrier for soft robotic movement. His foundational 2019 paper on this topic has garnered 76 citations, establishing him as a key figure in the field. He further advanced the field by demonstrating that crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) modified with ionic liquids can produce bending via converse flexoelectricity at just 1 V (22 citations). Most recently, Kaphle has pioneered the integration of iLCEs into organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), creating highly sensitive bending sensors that promise fully flexible, low-cost electronics. His work elegantly bridges fundamental materials chemistry with practical device engineering, offering a clear path toward next-generation wearable and biomedical technologies.