Influence of PEDOT:PSS crystallinity and composition on electrochemical transistor performance and long-term stability.

Kim, Seong-Min; Kim, Chang-Hyun; Kim, Youngseok; Kim, Nara; Lee, Won-June; Lee, Eun-Hak; Kim, Dokyun; Park, Sungjun et al. · Nat Commun · 2018

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Owing to the mixed electron/hole and ion transport in the aqueous environment, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)-based organic electrochemical transistor has been regarded as one of the most promising device platforms for bioelectronics. Nonetheless, there exist very few in-depth studies on how intrinsic channel material properties affect their performance and long-term stability in aqueous environments. Herein, we investigated the correlation among film microstructural crystallinity/composition, device performance, and aqueous stability in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) films. The highly organized anisotropic ordering in crystallized conducting polymer films led to remarkable device characteristics such as large transconductance (∼20 mS), extraordinary volumetric capacitance (113 F·cm<sup>-3</sup>), and unprecedentedly high [μC<sup>*</sup>] value (∼490 F·cm<sup>-1</sup>V<sup>-1</sup>s<sup>-1</sup>). Simultaneously, minimized poly(styrenesulfonate) residues in the crystallized film substantially afforded marginal film swelling and robust operational stability even after >20-day water immersion, >2000-time repeated on-off switching, or high-temperature/pressure sterilization. We expect that the present study will contribute to the development of long-term stable implantable bioelectronics for neural recording/stimulation.