Single-Crystal Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Nanowires with Ultrahigh Conductivity

Abstract

We developed single-crystal poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene) (PEDOT) nanowires with ultrahigh conductivity using liquid-bridge-mediated nanotransfer printing with vapor phase polymerization. The single-crystal PEDOT nanowires are formed from 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomers that are self-assembled and crystallized during vapor phase polymerization process within nanoscale channels of a mold having FeCl3 catalysts. These PEDOT nanowires, aligned according to the pattern in the mold, are then directly transferred to specific positions on a substrate to generate a nanowire array by a direct printing process. The PEDOT nanowires have closely packed single-crystalline structures with orthorhombic lattice units. The conductivity of the single-crystal PEDOT nanowires is an average of 7619 S/cm with the highest up to 8797 S/cm which remarkably exceeds literature values of PEDOT nanostructures/thin films. Such distinct conductivity enhancement of single-crystal PEDOT nanowires can be attributed to improved carrier mobility in PEDOT nanowires. To demonstrate usefulness of single-crystal PEDOT nanowires, we fabricated an organic nanowire field-effect transistor array contacting the ultrahigh conductive PEDOT nanowires as metal electrodes.