Enhancing mechanical properties of wet-spun PEDOT:PSS conductive fibers via molecular weight engineering of PSS
Journal
European Polymer Journal
Journal Volume
235
ISSN
0014-3057
Date Issued
2025-07
Author(s)
Lo, Hung-Chi
Hu, Jie-Dong
Chou, Che-Min
Chen, Chun-Yu
Lin, Jhih-Min
Chen, Chin-Wen
Chuang, Wei-Tsung
Wu, Kuan-Yi
Abstract
Highly conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) fibers with excellent electrical conductivity and stretchability are crucial for advancing wearable fiber-based electronics. However, the tensile strength and stretchability remain constrained by the hierarchical structure of PEDOT:PSS. Notably, the role of PSS molecular weight (Mw) in shaping the processability and mechanical performance of PEDOT:PSS fibers has not been explored yet. Herein, we examine the impact of PSS Mw on the process-structure–property relationship of PEDOT:PSS fibers. PSS with the higher Mw of 500 and 1000 kg mol−1 were used to produce PEDOT:PSS500 and PEDOT:PSS1000, compared to Clevios PH1000. Structural analysis shows that all the PEDOT:PSS solutions have a comparable PEDOT-to-PSS weight ratio. Increasing the Mw of PSS enhances solution viscosity, thereby improving fiber spinnability. The tensile strength is also improved in high Mw PEDOT:PSS fibers since the elongation at break (Ebreak) increases from 11.8 % in PH1000 to 39.3 % in PEDOT:PSS1000 at RH = 60 %. After the DMSO/glycerol-immersed treatment, the PEDOT:PSS1000 fibers deliver a high conductivity of 110 S·cm−1. Besides, the PEDOT:PSS1000 fiber can exhibit high Ebreak = 48.8 % at RH = 80 % and still perform Ebreak = 13.7 % even at low RH = 20 %. These findings highlight the potential of tailoring PSS Mw to enhance the performance of PEDOT:PSS fibers for wearable electronics.
Subjects
Fiber spinning
PEDOT:PSS fiber
Stretchability
Wearable electronics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Type
journal article