Influence of PEDOT:PSS crystallinity and composition on electrochemical transistor performance and long-term stability

Abstract

Owing to the mixed electron/hole and ion transport in the aqueous environment, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)-based organic electrochemical transistor has been regarded as one of the most promising device platforms for bioelectronics. Nonetheless, there exist very few in-depth studies on how intrinsic channel material properties affect their performance and long-term stability in aqueous environments. Herein, we investigated the correlation among film microstructural crystallinity/composition, device performance, and aqueous stability in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) films. The highly organized anisotropic ordering in crystallized conducting polymer films led to remarkable device characteristics such as large transconductance (∼20 mS), extraordinary volumetric capacitance (113 F·cm−3), and unprecedentedly high [μC*] value (∼490 F·cm−1V−1s−1). Simultaneously, minimized poly(styrenesulfonate) residues in the crystallized film substantially afforded marginal film swelling and robust operational stability even after >20-day water immersion, >2000-time repeated on-off switching, or high-temperature/pressure sterilization. We expect that the present study will contribute to the development of long-term stable implantable bioelectronics for neural recording/stimulation.

Fully Printed PEDOT:PSS-based Temperature Sensor with High Humidity Stability for Wireless Healthcare Monitoring

“…The crosslinker of GOPS was introduced to crosslink the hydrophilic part of PSS unit. This method was used to obtain water-stable PEDOT:PSS films for organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) 43,44 , but have yet to be studied for the temperature sensor. Since the GOPS mainly reacts with the excess PSS unit, i.e.…”

Display meets biology: A vision for ubiquitous healthcare platforms

“…For instance, the stability of a particular conducting polymer, which has long been studied in the broader context of plastic bioelectronics, has not been much addressed until recently. A new study directly proved that the structurally induced ionic exchanges in transducing functions cause accumulated stresses, and only specially post‐treated materials can withstand both repeated electrical driving and thermal sterilization essential to biomedical applications (Figure ) . Established inorganic (bulk) semiconductors can be relatively stable, while molecular and/or reduced‐dimensional materials, which can be otherwise more multifunctional and mechanically favorable, may suffer from insufficient stability because of their fundamental physical and chemical properties.…”

“…A new study directly proved that the structurally induced ionic exchanges in transducing functions cause accumulated stresses, and only specially post-treated materials can withstand both repeated electrical driving and thermal sterilization essential to biomedical applications (Figure 7). 58 Established inorganic (bulk) semiconductors can be relatively stable, while molecular and/or reduced-dimensional materials, which can be otherwise more multifunctional and mechanically favorable, may suffer from insufficient stability because of their fundamental physical and chemical properties. Nonetheless, when looking at stability enhancement in organic electronics, 59-61 synergistic synthetic alterations and interface optimizations can be a key approach to preparing high-stability materials tailored for display biotechnologies.…”

A novel dry-blending method to reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion of polymer templates for OTFT electrodes

“…Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) provide a platform to construct next-generation large-area, light-weight, flexible, and stretchable optoelectronic applications [1,2], including flexible displays [3], electronic papers [4], sensors [5], and medical applications [6]. Fabricating high-performance OTFTs usually requires that the electrodes on the polymer template are precisely aligned [7].…”