Highly Conductive PEDOT:PSS Electrode for High Performance All-plastic Organic Electronics

Purpose and goal

As for this project, we have three aims listed as following: 1)Developing novel method for fabricating and processing high conductive micrometer level thick PEDOT:PSS electrodes. 2)Deepen understanding of PEDOT:PSS conductive mechanism by investigating the spatial arrangement of PEDOT and PSS in the composite polymers. 3)Fabricating high performance metal-free organic solar cells, foldable integrated photocapacitor and thermoelectric generators by employing this PEDOT:PSS film.

Expected results and effects

We developed a novel method of fabricating micrometer-level thick PEDOT:PSS film with a record conductivity over 2500 S/cm and low sheet resistance under 1 ohm/Sq (Advanced Electronic Materials, 2018, 1700496, 1-8.). A record output power density of 99 ± 18.7 µW cm2 was obtained from the thermoelectric generator based on this PEDOT:PSS film. Furthermore, this thick PEDOT:PSS film was used to fabricate large area organic solar cells as top electrode and metal-free foldable integrated photocapacitor (IPC) as common electrode (Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2017, 1700704, 1-8.).

Planned approach and implementation

Firstly, a novel method has been developed for fabricating highly conductive thick PEDOT:PSS films. Secondly, SEM, temperature-dependent XRD, GIWAXS and conductivity measurements are employed for investigating the PEDOT and PSS arrangement and electric properties. Third, high performance organic electronic devices and energy devices have been achieved by preparing large area metal-free organic solar cells, foldable integrated photocapacitor and thermoelectric generator.