Title: PEDOT-PSS/MWCNT coatings on PET for conducting polymer actuators

Authors: Paul A. Kilmartin; Jadranka Travas-Sejdic; Rauno Temmer; Tarmo Tamm; Alvo Aabloo; Rudolf Kiefer

Addresses: Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand ' Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand ' Intelligent Materials and System Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia ' Intelligent Materials and System Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia ' Intelligent Materials and System Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia ' Polymer Electronics Research Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; Intelligent Materials and System Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia

Abstract: The electrochemical deposition of a conducting polymer on a non-conductive polymer requires a conductive layer, which can be achieved by sputtering or vaporisation of precious metals such as gold or platinum. In this investigation we coated poly(styrenesulphonate) doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PEDOT-PSS/MWCNT), in a ratio of 2.4 : 1 on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) layer and investigated the electrochemical stability of the nanotechnology composite. The properties of the PEDOT-PSS/MWCNT in respect to flexibility and strain were studied, and it was shown that strains up to 10% did not lessen the conductive properties. The quality of the electrochemically deposited conducting polymer polypyrrole doped with dodecylbenzenesulphonate (PPy-DBS) and triflouromethanesulphonate doped PEDOT (PEDOT-CF3SO3) on the conductive PEDOT-PSS/MWCNT coatings were studied and compared with a PET-layer sputtered with Pt as the conductive layer. It was shown that the replacement of a sputtered metal electrode layer with a layer obtained by simple coating technology can be used to produce conducting polymer bilayer actuators with comparable actuation ability.

Keywords: PEDOT-PSS/MWCNT coatings; PPy-DBS; PEDOT-CF3SO3; bilayer actuators; nanotechnology; conducting polymers; electrochemical deposition; multi-walled CNTS; MWCNTs; carbon nanotubes; poly(styrenesulphonate); poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene); nanocomposites; flexibility; strain; triflouromethanesulphonate; poly(ethylene terephthalate); PET.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2014.060568

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2014 Vol.11 No.5/6/7/8, pp.477 - 485

Published online: 15 Dec 2014 *

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