Abstract
In this work, we excited as-spun wet films of PEDOT:PSS by ultrasonic vibration with varying frequency and power. This is a low-cost and facile technique for tailoring the structural and surface characteristics of solution-processed thin films and coatings. We deposited the coatings on both rigid and flexible substrates and performed various characterization techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), transmittance, electrical conductivity, and contact angle measurements, to understand how the ultrasonic vibration affects the coating properties. We found that as a result of ultrasonic vibration, PEDOT:PSS sheet conductivity increases up to five-fold, contact angle of water on PEDOT:PSS increases up to three-fold, and PEDOT:PSS roughness on glass substrates substantially decreases. Our results affirm that ultrasonic vibration can favor phase separation of PEDOT and PSS and rearrangement of PEDOT-rich charge transferring grains. In addition to providing a systematic study on the effect of ultrasonic frequency and power on the film properties, this work also proves that the ultrasonic vibration is a novel method to manipulate and tailor a wide range of properties of solution-processed thin films, such as compactness, chain length and arrangement of polymer molecules, conductivity, and surface wettability. This ultrasonication method can serve organic, printed and flexible electronics.
Highlights
The importance of thin films and coatings in numerous micro- and nano-scale devices, such as emerging thin films solar cells, sensors and actuators, transistors, organic light-emitting diodes, displays, and thermoelectric devices, has made them a central interdisciplinary topic [1]
PEDOT:PSS is formed of PEDOT, which is a positively charged conducting polymer, but insoluble in water, entangled in negatively charged PSS chains, which is a nonconductive polymer, but helps dispersion and stabilization of PEDOT in water
Later we will show that how varying vibration frequency and power will affect the characteristics of PEDOT:PSS coatings
Summary
The importance of thin films and coatings in numerous micro- and nano-scale devices, such as emerging thin films solar cells, sensors and actuators, transistors, organic light-emitting diodes, displays, and thermoelectric devices, has made them a central interdisciplinary topic [1]. For such devices, development of low-cost, flexible and solution-processed conducting thin films is of prime importance [2,3,4]. Improved flexibility, reduced weight and solution-process-ability are some of the key advantages of PEDOT:PSS over conventional conducting transparent oxides [13,14,15]. PEDOT:PSS forms a micelle structure, because the hydrophobic PEDOT stays away from water molecules in a core surrounded
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