PEDOT:PSS-Based Stretchable Organic Electrochemical Diode with a High Rectification Ratio at High Frequency (1 kHz)

Although electronic diodes based on rigid inorganic semiconductors deliver high rectification ratios exceeding 10³, their intrinsic brittleness restricts their application in deformable electronics.

Conversely, conventional ionic diodes utilizing compliant ionic conductors can accommodate large tensile strains (>50%), but they are typically limited to low-frequency operations (<1 Hz) with modest rectification ratios (<100). Herein, we demonstrate a highly robust stretchable organic electrochemical diode based on a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) active layer. The rectifying behavior originates from bias-dependent hole injection and extraction at the junction between the PEDOT:PSS active layer and an Ag flake composite anode, which dynamically modulates the electrochemical doping state of the active layer to induce a highly asymmetric interfacial impedance response.