Domestic and International Researchers Develop High-Performance Conductor Technology Based on Microfiber

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwanwoo] The research team led by Professor Myunghan Yoon at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 8th that they have developed a high-performance microfiber-based organic mixed conductor fabrication technology in collaboration with Professor Jonathan Rivnay of Northwestern University in the United States and Dr. Hyeongju Ahn's research team at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory.

An organic mixed conductor (OMIEC) is a material that possesses both ionic conductivity and electrical conductivity within an electrolyte, unlike simple electrical conductors such as metals. It is used as an active layer in bio-implantable electronic devices that can link ion-based bioelectrical signals in water, such as nerve, heart, and muscle signals, with solid-state electronic signals based on electrons and holes, such as metal electrodes and silicon semiconductors.

The research team maximized carrier mobility and electrical conductivity by applying strain engineering, mainly used in commercial semiconductor processes, to single-strand microfibers to align polymer microcrystals in one direction.

Organic electrochemical transistors have been spotlighted as bio-implantable and skin-attachable sensors due to their superior capacitance and high electrical switching and amplification characteristics compared to conventional inorganic-based transistors. However, the chronic issues of low charge mobility and electrical conductivity in organic conductors have hindered improvements in switching and amplification performance.

To address these issues, the research team aligned the crystalline structure within PEDOT:PSS-based conductive polymer microfibers in one direction, achieving a transistor with a characteristic evaluation index over three times higher (1500 F cm-1V-1s-1) than devices based on the same material (490 F cm-1V-1s-1).

PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate) is a representative conductive polymer that is gaining attention as an active layer for organic electrochemical transistors.

Professor Myunghan Yoon said, “Through this technology, we succeeded in fabricating organic electrochemical transistors, which have recently been spotlighted as bio-implantable electronic devices, in the form of single-strand fibers and achieving a world-class characteristic evaluation index. Considering the high electrical and electrochemical properties of the conductive polymer fiber material proposed in this study, we expect it to be utilized in the future as a high-performance implantable electronic device and energy storage device.”

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