Synthesis of conductive and transparent PEDOT:P(SS-co-PEGMA) with excellent water-, weather-, and chemical-stabilities for organic solar cells. Issue 68 (4th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cho, Wonseok; Hong, Jae Keun; Lee, Jung Joon; Kim, Soyeon; Kim, Seyul; Im, Soeun; Yoo, Dohyuk; Kim, Jung Hyun
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 68(2016)
• Page Start: 63296
• Page End: 63303
• Publication Date: 2016-07-04
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra02687g
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : The water-, weather- and chemical-resistant conductive PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA was synthesized with thermally curable P(SS- co -PEGMA). The introduction of PEGMA to the PSS copolymer improved the mechanical properties and weather stability. Abstract : The water-, weather- and chemical-resistant conductive poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)- co -poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA)) copolymer was successfully synthesized with thermally curable P(SS- co -PEGMA) copolymers. The PSS and P(SS- co -PEGMA) copolymers were synthesized by solution polymerization and PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) were synthesized by Fe + -catalyzed oxidative polymerization. PSS and P(SS- co -PEGMA) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The electrical properties of the conductive PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) thin films were characterized in two parts; first, the mechanism and characterization of the conductivity change, and second, the characterization of the water-, chemical-, and weather-stability of the films. The conductivity and transmittance, respectively, of PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) at 550 nm under optimized conditions were maintained at the levels found in PEDOT:PSS, 160.3 S cm −1 and 86.7%. The introduction of PEGMA to the PSS copolymer improved the mechanical properties and weather stability. The PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) was highly stable to chemical solvents and independent of the type of solvents used for stability analysis. The conductivity in the weather stability test of PEDOT:PSS decreased by 44.9%, on the other hand, the conductivity of PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) was decreased by only 22.2%. The PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) copolymers were used as buffer layers in organic solar cells (OSC) and showed as high efficiency as conventional PEDOT:PSS materials. The decrease of OSC efficiency with PEDOT:P(SS- co -PEGMA) was 30% less than the OSCs with the commercial and reference PEDOT:PSS buffer layers.