Efficient Film Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)-Metalloporphine Nanocomposite and Its Application as Semiconductor Material

Abstract

The use of composite films with semiconductor behavior is an alternative to enhance the efficiency of optoelectronic devices. Composite films of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and metalloporphines (MPs; M = Co, Cu, Pd) have been prepared by spin-coating. The PEDOT:PSS-MP films were treated with isopropanol (IPA) vapor to modify the polymer structure from benzoid to quinoid. The quinoid structure promotes improvements in the optical and electrical behavior of films. The composite films’ morphology and structure were characterized using infrared and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Composite films were analyzed for their optical behavior by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy: at λ < 450 nm, the films become transparent, indicating the capacity to be used as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices. At λ ≥ 450 nm, the absorbance in the films increased significantly. The CoP showed an 8 times larger current density compared to the CuP. A light induced change in the J-V curves was observed, and it is larger for the CoP. The conductivity values yielded between 1.23 × 102 and 1.92 × 103 Scm−1 and were higher in forward bias.