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Microscopical Investigations of PEDOT:PSS Thin Films
Author(s) -
Lang Udo,
Müller Elisabeth,
Naujoks Nicola,
Dual Jurg
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.200801258
Subject(s) - pedot:pss , materials science , polystyrene sulfonate , polystyrene , composite material , morphology (biology) , scanning electron microscope , thin film , spectroscopy , atomic force microscopy , electron microscope , nanotechnology , polymer , optics , physics , quantum mechanics , biology , genetics
Electron microscopy studies are used to explore the morphology of thin poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) and polystyrene sulfonate acid (PEDOT:PSS) films. The figures show that the films are composed of grains with diameters in the range of about 50 nm. Energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis reveals that individual grains have a PEDOT‐rich core and a PSS‐rich shell with a thickness of about 5–10 nm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is then used to analyze the topography of fracture surfaces of ruptured PEDOT:PSS tensile specimens. These AFM scans also show that the films are composed of grains dispersed in a matrix. The investigations presented herein yield a picture of PEDOT:PSS morphology with unprecedented clarity.