Preparation of thermally curable conductive films PEDOT:P(SS-NMA) and their performances on weather stability and water resistance

In this research, sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SSNa) and N-(methylol acrylamide) (NMA) were copolymerized to form the thermally curable copolymer P(SS-NMA). Moisture absorptivity and swelling index were used to evaluate the weather stability of P(SS-NMA). The P(SS-NMA) copolymers with high molar content of NMA exhibited better weather stability. Then, P(SS-NMA) was used as the polymeric template to carry out the oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and yielded the thermally curable conductive dispersion, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate-N(methylol acrylamide)) (PEDOT:P(SS-NMA)). The optoelectronic property and surface morphology for the PEDOT:P(SS-NMA) conductive thin films were investigated. In addition, the performance of the PEDOT:P(SS-NMA) conductive film was characterized in the two parts: weather stability and water resistance. The introduction of crosslinking structures into the conductive film improved the mechanical property and weather stability so as to resolve the drawbacks of the commercial products PEDOT:PSS. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.