pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S15 - Special: Flexible electronics Polymers and Processes
Poster Presentation
 
 

Free-standing Transparent and Stretchable Films Based on PEDOT: Grafting Approach, Connectivity and Conductivity

Alinejad Zeinab (1)*, Gomari Sepideh (1), Mahdavian Ali Reza (1)

(1) Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute - Tehran - Iran

Scientific and technological development of flexible conductive materials is of crucial importance for the next generation of electronics. Having high electrical stability, polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT) is one of the promising conductive polymers especially when transparency and thermoelectricity are properties to search for. The obtained films of PEDOT:PSS, the most known composition, are hardly freestanding and stretchable, two features which are able to provide some novel applications. Moreover, the total content of PEDOT is relatively high in the obtained film, leading to exorbitant manufacture cost. Here, we employed a grafting approach through which a thin layer of PEDOT was incorporated on the surface of poly methylmetacrylate-co-butyl acrylate (P(MMA-Bu)) nanoparticles. P(MMA-Bu) nanoparticles and grafted ones were synthesized via emulsion polymerization technique at 10 wt% solid content. The prepared latexes were casted and the obtained films with different thicknesses were characterized. In this way, a 3D isotropic interconnected network of conductive PEDOT on rubbery phase (Tg: 15 C) was formed (based on TEM analysis). The conductivity of reference films before grafting was too low to be measured, while the grafted ones showed 10-4 S/cm. Secondary doping and solvent post-treatments improved conductivity up to 100 times. The films were also able to be stretched at around 100%, preserving their electrical conductivity. Apart from applicability as thermoelectric generator, the films showed mechano-electric potentiality. The introduced route can also be scaled-up.