Effect of solvent on electrical conductivity and gas sensitivity of PEDOT: PSS polymer composite films

Abstract

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was blended with polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and composite film was cast. Additional solvents of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethylene glycol (EG) were mixed and their effects on electrical conductivity and structural changes were investigated. The electrical conductivity increased in response to the additional solvent, leading to an increase in the PEDOT ratio relative to the control. PEDOT:PSS/PEO composite film had a much higher electrical conductivity than PEDOT:PSS/PVA. When blended with PEO, the quinoid structure revealed by Raman spectroscopy increased relative to the PVA-blended case, indicating higher electrical conductivity. The current-voltage response and gas sensitivity showed much better performance in PEDOT:PSS/PEO/DMSO composite film. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.