Synergetic Improvement of Stability and Conductivity of Hybrid Composites formed by PEDOT:PSS and SnO Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this work, layered hybrid composites formed by tin oxide (SnO) nanoparticles synthesized by hydrolysis and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) have been analyzed. Prior to the composite study, both SnO and PEDOT:PSS counterparts were characterized by diverse techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL), atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical absorption and Hall effect measurements. Special attention was given to the study of the stability of the polymer under laser illumination, as well as the analysis of the SnO to SnO2 oxidation assisted by laser irradiation, for which different laser sources and neutral filters were employed. Synergetic effects were observed in the hybrid composite, as the addition of SnO nanoparticles improves the stability and electrical conductivity of the polymer, while the polymeric matrix in which the nanoparticles are embedded hinders formation of SnO2. Finally, the Si passivation behavior of the hybrid composites was studied.

In Situ Local Oxidation of SnO Induced by Laser Irradiation: A Stability Study

“…TEM observations ( Figure 1 a) confirmed the presence of nanoparticles and plates, as described in a previous work [ 8 ]. Jaśkaniec et al [ 16 ] recently suggested that solvent polarity on the synthesis method is strongly related to these 2D morphology changes.…”

“…Jaśkaniec et al [ 16 ] recently suggested that solvent polarity on the synthesis method is strongly related to these 2D morphology changes. As an example, SnO can be obtained as platelets [ 8 , 17 ], rose-like particles [ 13 , 25 , 26 ], and other hierarchical architectures [ 9 , 10 ]. In our case, both plates and nanoparticles morphologies were formed via hydrolysis.…”

“…SnO nanostructures were synthesized following a soft chemistry route based on hydrolysis [ 2 , 8 ], carried out at room conditions, in contraposition with previous studies where Ar atmospheres were used [ 3 ]. Initially, the selected precursor SnCl 2 ·2H 2 O (Sigma-Aldrich purity 99.99%, Darmstadt, Germany) was dissolved in water with continuous stirring at low temperature.…”

“…On the other hand, tin monoxide, (tin oxide II, stannous oxide) (SnO, Sn 2+ ) romarchite, possesses p-type conductivity and often exhibits a layered structure with tetragonal space group P4/nmn (129) with lattice parameters a = b = 3.803 Å and c = 4.838 Å, corresponding to a litharge structure with a variable optical bandgap, ranging between E G ~2.5–3.4 eV [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 8 ]. In recent years, SnO has generated increasing interest in photocatalysis [ 9 , 10 ] and as a potential thermoelectric material, supported by first principle calculations [ 11 , 12 ] in part due to its low toxicity and abundance compared with other thermoelectric materials.…”

The “Materials Chemistry” Section of Molecules: A Multidisciplinary Environment for Materials-Based Researches

“…Apart than biomedical field, other applications of composite nanoparticles are photovoltaics and space missions. The improved photovoltaic performance of nanocomposite materials was demonstrated by Vázquez-López et al by the synthesis of hybrid systems of SnO nanoparticles and conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonate [ 9 ]. On the other hands, Winroth et al reported the structure and performance of multifunctional polymer matrix composites composed of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fiber reinforcement and a hydrogen-rich polybenzoxazine matrix, demonstrating clear advantages over benchmark materials in terms of combined structural and radiation-shielding performance [ 10 ].…”