Electromechanical properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrene sulfonate) films

Free-standing films made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) were prepared by casting water dispersion of its colloidal particles. Morphology, water vapor sorption, and electro-active polymer actuating behavior of the resulting films were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy, sorption isotherm, thermal mechanical analysis, and electromechanical analysis. It was found that the PEDOT/PSS film sorbed 60% of moisture at relative water vapor pressure of 0.95. Upon application of 10 V, the film underwent contraction of 2.4% in air at 50% relative humidity (RH) which significantly increased to 4.5% at 90% RH. The principle lay in desorption of water vapor sorbed in the film due to Joule heating, where electric field was capable of controlling the equilibrium of water vapor sorption. The film generated contractile stress as high as 17 MPa under isometric conditions and work capacity attained 174 kJ m(-3), where Young's modulus of the film increased from 1.8 to 2.6 GPa by application of 6 V at 50% RH.