Fabrication and Nanoscale Properties of PEDOT:PSS Conducting Polymer Nanospheres

Electrically conducting nanospheres of poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with tailored size, were prepared by a one-step method. To fabricate the nanostructures, PEDOT:PSS was dissolved in ethylene glycol using a novel strategy and the solution was precipitated in deionized water. The proposed fabrication route allowed to obtain a water-based dispersion of monodisperse nanospheres with good optical properties. To determine physical properties of the nanospheres, we followed a nanoscale approach, using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Our nanoscale mechanical and electrical investigations showed that the nanospheres preserved good physical properties, compared to the commercial product. Moreover, the local studies indicated that the confinement imposed by the spherical shape can lead into a different arrangement of the PSS and PEDOT phases. In particular, we envisaged nanospheres composed by a PEDOT-rich surface, responsible for the good electrical conductivity of the nanostructures.