Electroconductive paper prepared by coating with blends of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4‐styrenesulfonate) and organic solvents

Abstract

Electroconductive papers were produced by coating commercial base papers with blends of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and organic solvents. The bulk conductivities of the coated papers were measured using a fourprobe technique. One-sided and two-sided coating gave comparable conductivity levels. The presence of sorbitol and isopropanol in the PEDOT:PSS blends did not enhance the bulk conductivity of the coated paper, and with increasing concentrations of these solvents, the conductivity decreased due to dilution of the conducting component. Samples coated with PEDOT:PSS blends containing N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) exhibited a higher conductivity than those coated with pure PEDOT:PSS because of their plasticizing effect and conformational changes of PEDOT molecules indicated by the red shift and disappearance of the shoulder peak at about 1442 cm À1 in the Raman spectra of the coated samples. EDS imaging showed that PEDOT:PSS is distributed throughout the thickness direction of the paper. Contact angle measurements were made to monitor the hydrophilicity of the paper surface and total sulfur analysis was used to determine the amount of PEDOT:PSS deposited onto the paper. The tensile strength of all the paper samples increased slightly after treatment. Thus, it is demonstrated that enhanced bulk conductivity in the order of 10 À3 S/cm can be achieved by using organic conductive materials and surface treatment techniques.

Conductivity of paper containing poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4‐styrenesulfonate) and multiwall carbon nanotubes

“…The four‐probe technique calculates both the surface and bulk conductivities of the sheet. In previous papers, we used this technique as a way to evaluate the bulk conductivity of PEDOT:PSS‐coated paper 7, 8. In this technique, a value of the bulk conductivity can be calculated from the current and voltage measurement and from the geometry of the set‐up.…”

“…Likewise, the conductive paper may also be used as a sensor and energy storage device. Nowadays, a variety of conducting materials have been deposited on flexible surfaces to achieve electronic properties, which include carbon nanotubes,1–3 conductive particles,4 ionic compounds,5 and conducting polymers 6–15. The challenge, of course, is to optimize the process and to use green technology to minimize the environmental impact.…”

“…Paper, as a flexible substrate, offers attractive properties, such as renewability and low cost of production. In our previous papers, we deposited poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4‐styrenesulfonate) or PEDOT : SS onto the fiber network by means of rod coating and studied the conductivity of the coated paper 7, 8. PEDOT:PSS is used as conducting polymer because it is water‐soluble, highly stable in the p‐doped state, with a relatively high conductivity, and environmentally stable 16–18.…”

Inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS/SWCNTs on Paper: Substrate Effects on Conductivity

“…Furthermore, paper components may also interact physicochemically with electrically functional layers. The interaction of PEDOT:PSS with a paper substrate and its effect on film conductivity has been reported in the literature, although primarily for coated PEDOT:PSS layers rather than printed ones [21][22][23][24]. These physicochemical interactions make paper-based conductive PEDOT films complex systems with sometimes poor electrical properties.…”

Influence of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on the conductivity and morphology of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) films

“…In bulk conductivity, the entire paper is functionalized to become an electrically conductive integral device component. This can be achieved, for example, by immersing or coating an uncoated paper with conductive polymers, or by in-situ polymerization in the paper [15][16][17][18]. Bulk conductivity can also be achieved directly from wood pulp fibers that are coated by a multisequenced, layer-by-layer method with conductive polymers or particles [19][20][21][22].…”