One of the biggest challenges in the field of organic electronics is the creation of flexible, stretchable, and biofavorable materials. Here the simple and repeatable method for reversible writing/erasing of arbitrary conductive pattern in conductive polymer thin film is proposed. The copolymer azo-modified poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was synthesized to achieve reversible photo-induced local electrical switching in the insulator-semimetal range. The photoisomerization of the polymer was induced by grafting nitrobenzenediazonium tosylate to the PSS main chains. While the as-deposited PEDOT:PSS thin films showed good conductivity, the modification procedure generated polymer redistribution, resulting in an island-like PEDOT distribution and the loss of conductivity. Further local illumination (430 nm) led to the azo-isomerization redistribution of the polymer chains and the creation of a conductive pattern in the insulating polymer film. The created pattern could then be erased by illumination at a second wavelength (470 nm), which was attributed to induction of reverse azo-isomerization. In this way, the reversible writing/erasing of arbitrary conductive patterns in thin polymer films was realized.

Central Laboratories University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Czech Republic

Department of Physics and Measurements University of Chemistry and Technology Prague 16628 Czech Republic

Department of Solid State Engineering University of Chemistry and Technology Prague 16628 Czech Republic

Department of Technology of Organic Substances and Polymer Materials Tomsk Polytechnic University Tomsk 634050 Russia

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Flexible Conductive Polymer Film Grafted with Azo-Moieties and Patterned by Light Illumination with Anisotropic Conductivity