Issue 20, 2018

Reversible switching of PEDOT:PSS conductivity in the dielectric–conductive range through the redistribution of light-governing polymers

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges in the field of organic electronics is the creation of flexible, stretchable, and biofavorable materials. Here the simple and repeatable method for reversible writing/erasing of arbitrary conductive pattern in conductive polymer thin film is proposed. The copolymer azo-modified poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was synthesized to achieve reversible photo-induced local electrical switching in the insulator–semimetal range. The photoisomerization of the polymer was induced by grafting nitrobenzenediazonium tosylate to the PSS main chains. While the as-deposited PEDOT:PSS thin films showed good conductivity, the modification procedure generated polymer redistribution, resulting in an island-like PEDOT distribution and the loss of conductivity. Further local illumination (430 nm) led to the azo-isomerization redistribution of the polymer chains and the creation of a conductive pattern in the insulating polymer film. The created pattern could then be erased by illumination at a second wavelength (470 nm), which was attributed to induction of reverse azo-isomerization. In this way, the reversible writing/erasing of arbitrary conductive patterns in thin polymer films was realized.

Graphical abstract: Reversible switching of PEDOT:PSS conductivity in the dielectric–conductive range through the redistribution of light-governing polymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Nov 2017
Accepted
06 Mar 2018
First published
20 Mar 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 11198-11206

Reversible switching of PEDOT:PSS conductivity in the dielectric–conductive range through the redistribution of light-governing polymers

Y. Kalachyova, O. Guselnikova, P. Postnikov, P. Fitl, L. Lapcak, V. Svorcik and O. Lyutakov, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 11198 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA12624G

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