Visible Luminescence of Dedoped DBU-Treated PEDOT:PSS Films Article uri icon

abstract

  • Dedoping of PEDOT:PSS by a simple and physical process has been performed by the addition of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), a strong organic base, in the PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion. The DBU-treated PEDOT:PSS samples showed a strong absorption band at 600 nm (π-π∗ transition) and a small band at 900 nm (polaronic band), which indicates that some PEDOT chains were being reduced. The dedoping efficiency depended of the amount of DBU added to the aqueous PEDOT:PSS dispersion. The DBU-treated PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersions and films showed a strong yellow emission, visible with the naked eye, when they were excited with a 488 nm laser. In addition, the same emission features were observed using another reducing agent like sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which indicates that the emission originates from neutral PEDOT chains rather than artifacts. Finally, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies were used to figure out the mechanism responsible for the PEDOT reduction. The reduction of PEDOT chains is due to the formation of hydroxide anions, which come from the interaction of DBU with water present in the PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution and interact with the oxidized thiophene molecules, resulting in a neutralization of the PEDOT backbone. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

publication date

  • 2015-01-01