Styrene butadiene copolymer-based transparent conducting thin films

Abstract

Conducting plastics emerge as a new area of providing a cost effective and unique alternative material for applications ranging from consumer electronics to optoelectronics, solar cells, lighting, memory and a host of new photonic applications. In this work, an attempt has been made to produce conducting elastomeric thin films pertinent to optoelectronic applications. A thermoplastic elastomer, styrene butadiene rubber, is doped with suitable dopants by chemical-doping method. The spectroscopic analysis reveals the formation of conjugated sequences, which is responsible for high intrinsic conductivity in polymeric materials. The polystyrene segment of the elastomer seems to affect the doping rate and the length of the conjugated sequences formed. In this study, the electrical conductivity is found to increase from 10⁻¹³ S cm⁻¹ to 10⁻¹ S cm⁻¹ upon doping, and the conduction mechanisms involved are also proposed.