Influences of solvents and monomer concentrations on the electrochemical performance and structural properties of electrodeposited PEDOT films: a comparative study in water and acetonitrile

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) has emerged as a promising coating for neural electrodes especially through convenient electrodeposition methods. To investigate the influences of solvents and EDOT monomer concentrations on the electrochemical performance and structural characteristics of PEDOT, both aqueous and acetonitrile solutions were employed with varying monomer concentrations during deposition. The prepared PEDOT films were examined for the surface morphology, electrochemical performance, and chemical structures. The results showed that an increase in EDOT concentration in either solvent led to PEDOT films with improved charge storage capacity and reduced impedance magnitude. At equivalent monomer concentrations, PEDOT films generated in acetonitrile exhibited a rougher surface texture and better electrochemical performance. Notably, the growth rate of charge storage capacity of PEDOT prepared in acetonitrile relative to the deposited charge density was 2.5 times that of PEDOT prepared in water. These findings could help to the optimization of PEDOT coating preparation to enhance electrode performance.