Stretchable and flexible resistive behavior of poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) thin film on ultra‐low modulus polydimethylsiloxane with trench‐type roughness. Issue 3 (11th October 2014) - Mehdi, Syed Murtuza
ABSTRACT This study investigates the resistive behavior of rod‐coated micrometer thick films of poly(3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on ultra‐low modulus (120– 130 kPa) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate having scratch or microtrench‐type roughness patterns. On average, the films were found to remain electrically functional up to 23% axial strain with an average increase of three times in the value of the normalized resistance. The films were also found to remain conductive up to bending diameter of 4 mm with an average increase of 1.12 times their initial resistance. The rod‐coated PEDOT:PSS films on ultra‐low modulus PDMS having microtrench‐type roughness were also found to remain functional even after 1000 bending cycles at a bending diameter of 4 mm and even smaller with an increase in resistance that was on average 1.15 times their initial resistance. The films were found to fail firstly by cracking and thereby debonding from the substrate under the application of axial strain. On the other hand, the films exhibit no delamination under bending strains. The results from this investigation suggest that the polymer–polymer laminate has potential applicability in stretchable and flexible electronics and related applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 226–233