Silver nanowire/PEDOT:PSS hybrid electrode for flexible organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract

We prepared a hybrid electrode comprosed of a silver nanowires/poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (AgNW/PEDOT:PSS) nanocomposite for flexible organic light-emitting diodes (FOLEDs). To increase the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS, diethylene glycol (DEG) was introduced into the PEDOT:PSS solution. The PEDOT:PSS layer shows a higher figure of merits (FoM) when prepared with the optimum amount of 7 vol%-DEG in the coating solution, due to the three-dimensional conducting network formed in the hybrid electrode. The perfluorinated ionomer (PFI) was also introduced into the PEDOT:PSS solution, and the resulting polymer solution was used to prepare a transparent anode on polymeric substrates. The PEDOT:PSS layers with higher contents of PFI exhibited higher work functions of 5.9 eV, due to control of the surface composition. After bending for 600,000 cycles, the hybrid electrode maintained a low R/R0 value. When the hybrid electrode with PFI-PEDOT:PSS was used as a transparent anode in a flexible OLED device, the FOLED exhibited a 25% higher current efficiency. Therefore, the enhanced performance of the FOLED devices fabricated on PFI-PEDOT:PSS anodes could be applicable to flexible displays.