Effective Approaches to Improve the Electrical Conductivity of PEDOT:PSS: A Review

The rapid development of novel organic technologies has led to significant applications of the organic electronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, solar cells, and field-effect transistors. There is a great need for conducting polymers with high conductivity and transparency to act as the charge transport layer or electrical interconnect in organic devices. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS), well-known as the most remarkable conducting polymer, has this role owing to its good film-forming properties, high transparency, tunable conductivity, and excellent thermal stability. In this Review, various of interesting physical and chemical approaches that can effectively improve the electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS are summarized, focusing especially on the mechanism of the conductivity enhancement as well as applications of PEDOT:PSS films. Prospects for future research efforts are also provided. It is expected that PEDOT:PSS films with high conductivity and transparency could be the focus of future organic electronic materials breakthroughs.