Simultaneously Enhancing the Cohesion and Electrical Conductivity of PEDOT:PSS Conductive Polymer Films using DMSO Additives

Conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has attracted significant attention as a hole transport and electrode layer that substitutes metal electrodes in flexible organic devices. However, its weak cohesion critically limits the reliable integration of PEDOT:PSS in flexible electronics, which highlights the importance of further investigation of the cohesion of PEDOT:PSS. Furthermore, the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS is insufficient for high current-carrying devices such as organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, we improve the cohesion and electrical conductivity through adding dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and we demonstrate the significant changes in the properties that are dependent on the wt % of DMSO. In particular, with the addition of 3 wt % DMSO, the maximum enhancements for cohesion and electrical conductivity are observed where the values increase by 470% and 6050%, respectively, due to the inter-PEDOT bridging mechanism. Furthermore, when OLED devices using the PEDOT:PSS films are fabricated using the 3 wt % DMSO, the display exhibits 18% increased current efficiency.