Issue 11, 2020

Recent progress on PEDOT:PSS based polymer blends and composites for flexible electronics and thermoelectric devices

Abstract

With the development of flexible electronic devices such as organic electrodes, medical sensors and light-emitting diodes, the conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), has attracted tremendous research attention due to its unique properties, such as flexibility, high electrical conductivity, promising thermoelectric properties and good water processability. Over the past few years, PEDOT:PSS has been extensively investigated and many research studies have been devoted to optimizing these versatile properties via molecular or structural design. Incorporating various polymers and fillers into PEDOT:PSS through blending and mixing is the most commonly used method to modify different properties of such conductive polymers, but a related review paper is still missing, especially on stretchable electronics and thermoelectric applications. Thus, this paper reviews recent progress on PEDOT:PSS based blends and composites used in the above two applications fields. Recent studies are divided into studies on miscible polymer blends, immiscible polymer blends, inorganic filler/polymer composites and carbon filler/polymer composites. The main focus is on the electrical conductivity, stretchability and thermoelectric properties of these blends and composites based on PEDOT:PSS. It is demonstrated that careful attention needs to be paid on the structure of these blends and composites to achieve desired properties. In these PEDOT:PSS based blends and composites, the distribution of polymers and fillers within PEDOT:PSS, and the composition and configuration of PEDOT:PSS itself are governed by the interfacial interaction, processing and post-treatment methods. It is widely demonstrated that various properties, such as electrical, thermoelectric and mechanical properties, of PEDOT:PSS blends and composites could be systematically adjusted through careful design of the above aspects in these materials. Nevertheless, there are still a number of issues that need to be further investigated to expand the application of PEDOT:PSS based materials, such as constructing hierarchical structures or nano confined PEDOT:PSS in an elastic matrix to form conductive pathways with a better balance between electrical conductivity and stretchability; filler distribution, interfacial interaction and orientation of the filler should be taken into account to optimize the thermoelectric properties of PEDOT:PSS based composites; self-powered flexible wearable electronics using PEDOT:PSS composites or blends based on the Seebeck effect is still in its infancy and needs much more attention.

Graphical abstract: Recent progress on PEDOT:PSS based polymer blends and composites for flexible electronics and thermoelectric devices

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
09 5月 2020
Accepted
24 7月 2020
First published
24 7月 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2020,4, 3130-3152

Recent progress on PEDOT:PSS based polymer blends and composites for flexible electronics and thermoelectric devices

Y. Yang, H. Deng and Q. Fu, Mater. Chem. Front., 2020, 4, 3130 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00308E

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