Fabrication and Nanoscale Properties of PEDOT:PSS Conducting Polymer Nanospheres

Abstract

<div><div><div><p>Electrically conducting nanospheres of poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with tailored size, were prepared by a one-step method. To fabricate the nanostructures, PEDOT:PSS was dissolved in ethylene glycol using a novel strategy and the solution was precipitated in deionized water. The proposed fabrication route allowed to obtain a water-based dispersion of monodisperse nanospheres with good optical properties. To determine physical properties of the nanospheres, we followed a nanoscale approach, using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Our nanoscale mechanical and electrical investigations showed that the nanospheres preserved good physical properties, compared to the commercial product. Moreover, the local studies indicated that the confinement imposed by the spherical shape can lead into a different arrangement of the PSS and PEDOT phases. In particular, we envisaged nanospheres composed by a PEDOT-rich surface, responsible for the good electrical conductivity of the nanostructures.</p></div></div></div>

Solvent-structured PEDOT:PSS surfaces: fabrication strategies and nanoscale properties

“…In particular, 𝐸 Y values above the threshold, indicating PSS presence, were preferentially located at the bottom phase of the film with a disposition comparable in shape and density as in the pristine case. On the contrary, the upper phase was mostly characterized by a slightly lower 𝐸 Y , which would be indicative of PEDOT-rich areas, as reported before [50]. Our nanoscale studies pointed out that the upper phase of PePSS-LT must be rich in PEDOT chains.…”

“…(1). This modulus cutoff allowed identifying areas richer in PSS, as previously reported for pristine PEDOT:PSS thin films [50,89]. The original images used to create these maps are presented in Figure S5.…”

“…Nanomechanical studies were conducted using the PeakForce-QNM method (PF-QNM), using Tap300Al-G probes. For PF-QNM measurements the system was calibrated following recent literature reports [48][49][50]. Briefly, the cantilevers' spring constant was calculated using Sader's method, resulting in typical values of 20 N/m.…”