Conductive PEDOT Research Articles

Design of Highly Conductive, Intrinsically Stretchable, and 3D Printable PEDOT:PSS Hydrogels via PSS-Chain Engineering for Bioelectronics

Design of Highly Conductive, Intrinsically Stretchable, and 3D Printable PEDOT:PSS Hydrogels via PSS-Chain Engineering for Bioelectronics

Optimization of Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics

The performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices was found to be strongly influenced by environmental during preparation, thermal annealing conditions, and the material blend composition. We optimized laboratory fabricated devices for these variables. Humidity during the fabrication process can cause electrode oxidation and photo-oxidation in the active layer of the OPV. Thermal annealing of the device structure modifies the morphology of the active layer, resulting in changes in material domain sizes and percolation pathways which can enhance the performance of devices. Thermal annealing of the blended organic materials in the active layer also leads to the growth of crystalline for P3HT domains due to a more arrangement packing of chains in the polymer. Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) acts as a hole transport layer in these P3HT:PCBM devices. Two commercially materials of PEDOT:PSS were utilizing in the optimization of the OPV in this research; high conductivity PEDOT:PSS-PH1000 and PEDOT:PSS-Al4083, which is specifically designed for OPV interfaces. It was demonstrated that OPVs were prepared with PEDOT:PSS-PH1000 have a less than the average performance of PEDOT:PSS-Al4083. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) decreased clearly with a reducing in masking area devices from 5 mm2 to 3.8 mm2 for OPVs based on PH1000 almost absolutely due to the reduced short circuit current (Jsc). This work provides a roadmap to understanding P3HT:PCBM OPV performance and outlines the preparation issues which need to be resolved for efficient device fabrication

Efficient and stable organic solar cells enabled by incorporation of titanium dioxide doped PEDOT:PSS as hole transport layer

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been widely served as the state-of-art hole transport layer (HTL) for high performance organic solar cells (OSCs) due to its easy solution processability, excellent hole extraction ability, and well compatibility with various active layers. However, PEDOT:PSS shows several drawbacks such as relatively moderate conductivity and optical transparency, acidity, and reactivity, which directly limits the improvement of device performance and leads to the deterioration of device stability. In this work, metal oxide titanium dioxide (TiO2) was doped into the conventional HTL-material PEDOT:PSS, which simultaneously boosted the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of OSCs based on PBDB-T:N2200. The simultaneous improvement in PCE and stability is originated from the effectively improved light transmittance and conductivity of PEDOT:PSS, increased hole extraction of the active layer, as well as the optimized ohmic contact between the interface layer and the electrode. In addition, the TiO2 doping PEDOT:PSS strategy is proved to be general to a variety of OSCs systems, which is expected to bring new opportunities for the development of high performance HTL, so as to promote the commercialization of OSCs.

Two-Dimensional Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Improving the Performance of Organic Solar Cells.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted lots of attention owing to their low cost, lightweight, and flexibility properties. Nowadays, the performance of OSCs is continuously improving with the development of active layer materials. However, the traditional hole transport layer (HTL) material Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) presents insufficient conductivity and rapid degradation, which decreases the efficiency and stability of OSCs. To conquer the challenge, the two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanomaterials incorporated into the PEDOT:PSS as hybrid HTL are reported. The addition of g-C3N4 into PEDOT:PSS enables the thickness of the HTL to decrease for enhancing the transmittance of the film and increase the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS. Thus, the device exhibts improved charge transport and suppressed carrier recombination, leading to the increase in short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency of the devices. This work demonstrates that the incorporation of 2D g-C3N4 into PEDOT:PSS for D18:Y6 and PM6:L8-BO-based OSCs can significantly improve the device efficiency to 17.48% and 18.47% with the enhancement of 7.04% and 8.46%, respectively.

Rewritable Electrically Controllable Liquid Crystal Actuators

AbstractConductive structures determine the functions and actuation modes of electrically responsive soft actuators. The rewritability of conductive structures is highly desirable but has not been realized in electro‐driven actuators. Typically, once conductive pathways are established, they can hardly be modified; thus, the function of the actuator is permanently fixed. In this study, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is developed as a rewritable conductive coating for actuators composed of liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). This enables reconfigurable, adaptive, and precisely controllable electro‐driven motions and the repeated use of the same actuator for various purposes without disposal. Moreover, different PEDOT:PSS layers can be coated onto different regions, thus enabling the assembly of different actuation behaviors in a monolithic actuator under a single input voltage. Unlike all previously reported soft actuators that respond to electricity and light, opposite shape changes in an actuator with a series circuit can be performed under these two stimuli. Furthermore, when combining LCEs with dynamic covalent bonds, the PEDOT:PSS‐coated LCE (PEDOT:PSS‐LCE) actuator can be reprogrammed based on two different mechanisms: rewriting the conductive PEDOT:PSS patterns and re‐aligning the LCEs. This versatile method can be adapted to other types of actuators.

A signal amplification for Trp isomers electrochemical recognition based on PEDOT:PSS and CS/PAA multilayers

In this work, enhanced tryptophan (Trp) isomers recognition was successfully demonstrated on (CS/PAA)3.5@PEDOT:PSS/GCE, a multilayer chiral sensor with good stability and reproducibility. The (CS/PAA)n multilayers chiral interface was first fabricated via alternating self-assembly of chiral chitosan (CS) and achiral polyacrylic acid (PAA). Conductive PEDOT:PSS was then compounded with (CS/PAA)n multilayers to obtain the chiral sensor for the electrochemical recognition of Trp isomers. The structure of the sensor and its chirality properties for Trp isomers were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR)，scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical methods. The SEM images showed uniform distribution of PEDOT:PSS in the multilayer films, which changed the internal structure of the (CS/PAA)3.5. Consequently, (CS/PAA)3.5@PEDOT:PSS multilayers rendered more chiral centers in addition to improved good conductivity, which significantly amplified the oxidation peak current ratio of D-Trp to L-Trp (ID/IL) up to 6.71 at 25 °C. In addition, a linear relationship was observed between the peak current and Trp enantiomer concentration in the range of 0.002–0.15 mM, and the detection limits of D-Trp and L-Trp were 0.33 and 0.67 μM, respectively. More importantly, the percentage of D-Trp in non-racemic Trp enantiomers mixture solutions were successfully determined on the chiral interface, showing its effectiveness and promising potential in practical applications.

Fast Visible-Light 3D Printing of Conductive PEDOT:PSS Hydrogels.

Functional inks for light-based 3D printing are actively being searched for being able to exploit all the potentialities of additive manufacturing. Herein, a fast visible-light photopolymerization process is showed of conductive PEDOT:PSS hydrogels. For this purpose, a new Type II photoinitiator system (PIS) based on riboflavin (Rf), triethanolamine (TEA), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is investigated for the visible light photopolymerization of acrylic monomers. PEDOT:PSS has a dual role by accelerating the photoinitiation process and providing conductivity to the obtained hydrogels. Using this PIS, full monomer conversion is achieved in less than 2min using visible light. First, the PIS mechanism is studied, proposing that electron transfer between the triplet excited state of the dye (3 Rf*) and the amine (TEA) is catalyzed by PEDOT:PSS. Second, a series of poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate)/PEDOT:PSS hydrogels with different compositions are obtained by photopolymerization. The presence of PEDOT:PSS negatively influences the swelling properties of hydrogels, but significantly increases its mechanical modulus and electrical properties. The new PIS is also tested for 3D printing in a commercially available Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printer (405nm wavelength), obtaining high resolution and 500µm hole size conductive scaffolds.

Influence of relative humidity on the structure, swelling and electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS fibers

PEDOT:PSS is a conducting polymer with a wide variety of applications in the field of organic electronics. Over the past few years our group has developed PEDOT:PSS fibers with high electrical conductivity and robust mechanical properties, and we have observed changes in their properties that seemed to stem from seasonal changes in atmospheric relative humidity. In this work, we report the influence of relative humidity on the swelling, electrical conductivity and structure of wet-spun PEDOT:PSS fibers. The diameter of the fibers linearly increased with relative humidity up to the 70–80% range where the increase became exponential. The electrical conductivity reversibly decreased with increasing relative humidity with a similar linear and then exponential behavior. Additionally, an irreversible decrease (aging) in electrical conductivity was also observed. To gain more insight into the structural origin of these changes, wide angle x-ray scattering of the PEDOT:PSS fibers were gathered at different relative humidities in the 10–90% range so that the changes in structure could be observed in situ. On one hand, the lamella stacking distance of PEDOT and PSS chains increased linearly up to the 70–80% relative humidity range where the increase became exponential. On the other hand, the π-π stacking distance between PEDOT chains remained unaltered. We found that the changes in the lamella stacking distance were closely correlated to the changes observed for the diameter and electrical conductivity.

3D-printed stretchable sensor based on double network PHI/PEDOT:PSS hydrogel annealed with cosolvent of H2O and DMSO

3D-printed stretchable sensors have promising applications in wearable devices, human–computer interaction, soft robotics, and many other fields. However, low conductivity and poor stretchability still hinder their extensive applications. Herein, we report a strategy of double networks and annealed PEDOT:PSS for the first time. The new material combines mechanical stretch performance and conductivity together, where 3D-printed complex stretchable poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate-isobornyl acrylate) (PHI) structure serves as the tough network and annealed highly conductive PEDOT:PSS serves as the functional network. It is adopted to build 3D-printed porous stereo structures with both stretchability and conductivity. It exhibits interconnected uniform networks, improved storage modulus (1.3 * 106 Pa), higher conductivity (The conductivity of PHI/PEDOT: PSS annealed is up to 3.12 * 10−1 S m−1, which is 441 times compared to PHI/PEDOT: PSS), excellent stability and durability at a large strain of 60%. Hence, it is expected that this new strategy will open up wide possibilities for designing stretchable sensors and smart devices.

Dehydrated polyvinyl alcohol as novel carbon material filler for poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Poly (styrene sulfonate) based composites with enhanced thermoelectric behavior

Readily available carbon materials produced from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used as fillers to prepare polymer-inorganic composite films with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) as stabilizer. Polyacetylene-like aerogel structures with high carbon contents were obtained when PVA was pyrolyzed at 300 °C (PVA-300). PEDOT: PSS interact strongly with PVA-300 due to their conjugated chemistry which benefits π-π overlap. The structural and computational results have proved that a conformationally organized PEDOT: PSS interfacial layer templated by PVA-300 aerogel produces higher conductivity in PEDOT: PSS/PVA (PP) composite films than that in pure PEDOT: PSS. The charge transfer process also promotes carrier transport of the electrically conductive network of PP composites. These special characteristics lead to the optimal power factor of 259.56 μ W m−1 K−2 and ZT value of 0.49 at 300 K in PP composite with 25 wt% PVA-300. A flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) with 14 thermoelectric p-type PP units is demonstrated, which gives an output voltage of 146 mV at ΔT = 70 °C.

MOF-Conductive Polymer Composite Film as Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media

A metal-organic framework (MOF)-conductive polymer composite film was constructed from PCN-222(Fe) nanoparticles and PEDOT:PSS solution by simple drop-casting approach. The composite film was tested as an electrocatalytic device for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The combination of PCN-222(Fe) MOF particles and conductive PEDOT matrix facilitates electron transfer in the composite material and improves the ORR performance of PCN-222(Fe). Levich plot and H2O2 quantification experiment show that PCN-222(Fe)/PEDOT:PSS film mainly catalyzes two-electron oxygen reduction and produces H2O2.

Highly Conductive Inkjet-Printed PEDOT:PSS Film under Cyclic Stretching.

Inkjet-printed conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS films have provided a new developing direction for realizing the stretchable transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices. However, their conductivity and stretchability are limited as the presence of insulating PSS chains, rigid PEDOT conjugated backbone, and stronger inter-chain interactions in the pristine polymer, respectively. Here, we report a PEDOT:PSS film with preferable electrical and mechanical performances by inkjet-printing the formulated printable ink containing PEDOT:PSS, formamide (FA), d-sorbitol (SOR), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (DBSS), and ethylene glycol (EG). The inkjet-printed uniform PEDOT:PSS film exhibits a high conductivity of 1050 S/cm and sheet resistance of less than 145 Ω/sq on both rigid and flexible substrates. Moreover, the resistance can remain stable after 200 cycles of stretching at 55% strain. The film also presents good stability during repetitive stretching-releasing cycles. The significantly enhanced conductivity of the film lies on the conformational transition of the backbone by secondary doping and post-treatment with FA as well as removing the excess PSS components after phase separation between PEDOT and PSS. Meanwhile, SOR serves as a plasticizer to break the original hydrogen bonds between PSSH chains and provides larger free volume for polymer chain extension, which gives the PEDOT:PSS film the ability to tolerant cyclic tension. This is one of the optimal performances currently reported for inkjet-printed stretchable PEDOT:PSS films. The inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS film with high conductivity, stretching properties, as well as good biocompatibility exhibits promising prospects as anodes on optoelectronic devices.

Spiking neural networks compensate for weight drift in organic neuromorphic device networks

Organic neuromorphic devices can accelerate neural networks and integrate with biological systems. Devices based on the biocompatible and conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS are fast, require low amounts of energy and perform well in crossbar simulations. However, parasitic electrochemical reactions lead to self-discharge and the fading of the learned conductance states over time. This limits a neural network’s operating time and requires complex compensation mechanisms. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) take inspiration from biology to implement local and always-on learning. We show that these SNNs can function on organic neuromorphic hardware and compensate for self-discharge by continuously relearning and reinforcing forgotten states. In this work, we use a high-resolution charge transport model to describe the behavior of organic neuromorphic devices and create a computationally efficient surrogate model. By integrating the surrogate model into a Brian 2 simulation, we can describe the behavior of SNNs on organic neuromorphic hardware. A biologically plausible two-layer network for recognizing pixel MNIST images is trained and observed during self-discharge. The network achieves, for its size, competitive recognition results of up to 82.5%. Building a network with forgetful devices yields superior accuracy during training with 84.5% compared to ideal devices. However, trained networks without active spike-timing-dependent plasticity quickly lose their predictive performance. We show that online learning can keep the performance at a steady level close to the initial accuracy, even for idle rates of up to 90%. This performance is maintained when the output neuron’s labels are not revalidated for up to 24 h. These findings reconfirm the potential of organic neuromorphic devices for brain-inspired computing. Their biocompatibility and the demonstrated adaptability to SNNs open the path towards close integration with multi-electrode arrays, drug-delivery devices, and other bio-interfacing systems as either fully organic or hybrid organic-inorganic systems.

Potential modulation of Nickel-Cobalt hydroxide nanosheets with conductive Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) skin for aqueous hybrid supercapacitors

Transition metal hydroxides with tuned structure and superior electrochemical activities are of potential as positive electrodes for aqueous hybrid supercapacitors (AHSs), yet their conductivities and stacking behaviors need to be optimized to further improve the electrical potential distribution from the electronic multi-contact border to the electroactive center. Herein, we report a new approach to coat poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) skin with a controlled thickness on nickel–cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) nanosheets via a simple yet efficient oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD). The conductive PEDOT skin is ionically permeable, resulting in uniform distribution of the electrical potential and fast transport of ions to active sites. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the PEDOT layer can build an embedded electric field at the interface and enable a low desorption energy of hydrogen for electrochemical redox reactions. The as-obtained NiCo-LDH nanosheets with the PEDOT skin of 10 nm thick (LDH/PEDOT-10) as the battery-type electrode deliver a high specific capacity of 167 mAh g−1 (1250F g−1) with a greatly improved rate capability of 79 % at 50 A g−1 and cycling stability of 92 % for 6000 cycles, which endows AHS devices with superior charge-storage performance. This study has demonstrated for the first time that the modulation of electrical potential for redox electrodes via an interface engineering strategy can achieve simultaneously fast reaction kinetics and excellent structure stability for aqueous energy-storage devices.

Multicomponent mixed metallic hierarchical ZnNi@Ni@PEDOT arrayed structures as advanced electrode for high-performance hybrid electrochemical cells

Engineering multicomponent nanomaterials as an electrode with rationalized ordered structures is a promising strategy for fulfilling the high-energy storage needs of supercapacitors (SCs). Even now, the fundamental barrier to utilizing hydroxides/hydroxyl carbonates is their poor electrochemical performance, resulting from the significantly poor electrical conductivity and sluggish charge storage kinetics. Hence, a multilayered structural approach is primarily and successfully used to construct electrodes as one of the efficient approaches. This method has made it possible to develop well-ordered nanostructured electrodes with good performance by taking advantage of tunable approach parameters. Herein, we report the design of multilayered heterostructure porous zinc-nickel nanosheets@nickel flakes hydroxyl carbonates and/or hydroxides integrated with conductive PEDOT fibrous network (i.e., ZnNi@Ni@PEDOT) via facile synthesis methods. The combined hybrid electrode acquires the features of high electrical conductivity from one part and various valance states from another one to develop a well-organized nanosheet/flake/fibrous-like heterostructure with decent mechanical strength, creating robust synergistic results. Thus, the designed binder-free ZnNi@Ni@PEDOT electrode delivers a high areal capacity value of 1050.1 µA h cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2 with good cycling durability, significantly outperforming other individual electrodes. Moreover, its feasibility is also tested by constructing a hybrid electrochemical cell (HEC). The assembled HEC exhibits a high areal capacity value of 783.8 µA h cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2, and even at a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 (484.6 µA h cm−2), the device still retains a rate capability of 61.82%. Also, the HEC shows maximum energy and power densities of 0.595 mW h cm−2 and 77.23 mW cm−2, respectively, along with good cycling stability. The obtained energy storage capabilities effectively power various electronic components. These results provide a viable and practical way to construct a positive electrode with innovative heterostructures for high-performance energy storage devices and profoundly influence the development of electrochemical SCs.

Flexible microelectrode array probe for simultaneous detection of neural discharge and dopamine in striatum of mice aversion system

Simultaneous detection of spike firing and neurotransmitters in mice is conducive to further understanding the mechanism of innate fear induced by aversive stimuli. As the key brain region of the dopamine aversion system, the synchronous changes of neural discharge and neurotransmitter concentration in the striatum under innate fear are less studied. This paper proposed a fabrication method for dual-mode high-sensitive flexible microelectrode array (MEA) probe based on Parylene. The microelectrode sites were modified with platinum black nanoparticles and conductive polymer PEDOT, which can realize single neuron action potential recording and dopamine concentration detection. The electrode sensitivity for dopamine detection can reach 162.3 pA/μM. We used this flexible MEA probe to simultaneously real-time detect electrophysiology activities and dopamine in the striatum of awake mice under aversive stimulation. The results showed that after fear, with the decrease of the mean activity of mice behavior, the action potential firing rate, local field potential (LFP) power in low-frequency (0–30 Hz), and dopamine concentration in the striatum of mice decreased synchronously. The spike firing rate decreased by about 32 %, and the dopamine concentration decreased by about 23.5 %. Our electrodes provide a powerful tool for multimodal neural information detection and our research provides new evidence for striatum involvement in the dopamine aversion system.

Constructing a Hierarchical Ternary Hybrid of PEDOT:PSS/rGO/MoS2 as an Efficient Electrode for a Flexible Fiber-Shaped Supercapacitor

Improving the specific capacitance and energy density of a fiber-shaped supercapacitor (FSSC) is critical to its applications as an energy storage device for advanced smart wearable electronics. In this paper, a heterogeneous poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/reduced graphene oxide/molybdenum disulfide (PEDOT:PSS/rGO/MoS2) fiber was prepared to achieve a high-performance and durable electrode for the FSSC. As indicated, pseudocapacitive MoS2 was in situ grown on a highly conductive acid-treated PEDOT:PSS/rGO assembly with a hierarchical structure. This structural design emphasizes the wrinkled morphology and high conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS/rGO backbone to maximize the MoS2 deposition and accelerate its electron transfer, which fully utilizes the pseudocapacitance of MoS2 and provides additional capacitance contribution to the obtained device. Attributed to the synergy, the prepared fiber electrode in the FSSC exhibits high volumetric/areal specific capacitance (325.8 F cm–3/405.3 mF cm–2 at 1 A cm–3 or 1.2 mA cm–2) and excellent rate performance (82%, 1–10 A cm–3). The corresponding device shows an ultrahigh volumetric energy density of 6.9 mW h cm–3 at a high power density of 173.6 mW cm–3 and an areal energy density of 8.5 μW h cm–2 at 215.9 μW cm–2, together with excellent cycle stability and mechanical flexibility, outperforming most of the previously reported FSSCs. Accordingly, the proposed strategy provides a great opportunity to develop a high-performance FSSC for further wearable electronics.

An electrochemical sensor based on Ce-MOF-derived Ce-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) composite for efficient determination of rutin in food

As a common antioxidant and nutritional fortifier in food chemistry, rutin has positive therapeutic effects against novel coronaviruses. Here, Ce-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (Ce-PEDOT) nanocomposites derived through cerium-based metal-organic framework (Ce-MOF) as a sacrificial template have been synthesized and successfully applied to electrochemical sensors. Due to the outstanding electrical conductivity of PEDOT and the high catalytic activity of Ce, the nanocomposites were used for the detection of rutin. The Ce-PEDOT/GCE sensor detects rutin over a linear range of 0.02–9 μM with the limit of detection of 14.7 nM (S/N = 3). Satisfactory results were obtained in the determination of rutin in natural food samples (buckwheat tea and orange). Moreover, the redox mechanism and electrochemical reaction sites of rutin were investigated by the CV curves of scan rate and density functional theory. This work is the first to demonstrate the combined PEDOT and Ce-MOF-derived materials as an electrochemical sensor to detect rutin, thus opening a new window for the application of the material in detection.

Novel highly stable conductive polymer composite PEDOT:DBSA for bioelectronic applications

In this work, a novel conductive polymer composite consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (PEDOT:DBSA) for bioelectronic applications was prepared and optimized. The novel PEDOT:DBSA composite possesses superior biocompatibility toward cell culture and electrical characteristics comparable to the widely used PEDOT:PSS. The cross-linking processes induced by the cross-linker glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS), which was investigated in detail using Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy and XPS analysis, lead to the excellent long-term stability of PEDOT:DBSA thin films in aqueous solutions, even without treatment at high temperature. The electrical characteristics of PEDOT:DBSA thin films with respect to the level of cross-linking were studied in detail. The conductivity of thin films was significantly improved using sulfuric acid posttreatment. A model transistor device based on PEDOT:DBSA shows typical transistor behavior and suitable electrical properties comparable or superior to those of available conductive polymers in bioelectronics, such as PEDOT:PSS. Based on these properties, the newly developed material is well suited for bioelectronic applications that require long-term contact with living organisms, such as wearable or implantable bioelectronics.

Understanding the evolution of mechanical and electrical properties of wet-spun PEDOT:PSS fibers with increasing carbon nanotube loading

Unprecedented demands for advanced fiber materials have been raised by the quick development of wearable intelligent devices. It is still a significant problem to increase the mechanical qualities of fibers without compromising their chemical properties. The impact of different carbon nanotube (CNT) loading on the physical properties of wet-spun poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) fibers are explored in depth along with a wet spinning process for the continuous fabrication of PEDOT:PSS/CNT hybrid fibers. We discovered that the main challenge in a mechanically reinforced system of PEDOT:PSS fibers is to prevent the binding and aggregation of CNT within the fibres; enhancement is typically accomplished at 5 wt% CNT loadings. On the other hand, the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS fibers rises as CNT content increases. By applying the new understanding, the highly conductive PEDOT:PSS/CNT hybrid fiber exhibits greater rate performance and cycle stability in the electrochemical test is obtained. The PEDOT:PSS/CNT hybrid fiber-based fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSC) have been assembled and they show good long-term cycle stability. Meanwhile, energy and power densities reach ∼16.05 mW h cm−3 and ∼13292 mW cm−3, respectively. This work provides a favorable reference for the mass production of fiber electrodes with high mechanical properties for energy storage.