Improvement of electric conductivity of polyaniline thin film with self orientation induced additive for the polymer electrode

Abstract

Highly conductive and transparent Polyaniline (PANI) based film was prepared for adapting flexible organic solar cells (OSCs) anode. In the case of the polymer film, it was known that the conductivity was decreased with decreasing film thickness because of the recoiling polymer chain according to the solvent removed. For solving this problem, self orientation induced additive (SOA) was blended with PANI chains, and its mixture led to enhance the electrical conductivity in the thin film state. The optimum material was SOA18 blended PANI:CSA film in electrical aspect and its conductivity value was measured approximately 881 S/cm at 130 nm thickness. It was confirmed that the reasons for the conductivity enhancing were the increasing of the crystallinity degree of PANI chains and the surface smoothness of the film. In addition, it was determined that this film had a high bending mechanical strength on the flexible substrate.