Synthesis of high performance,conductive PEDOT‐coated polyester yarns by OCVD technique

Production of high performance conductive textile yarn fibers for different electronic applications has become a prominent area of many research groups throughout the world. We have used oxidative chemical vapor deposition (OCVD) technique to coat flexible and high strength polyester yarns with conjugated polymer, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in presence of ferric (III) chloride (FeCl₃) oxidant. OCVD is an efficient solvent free technique used to get uniform, thin, and highly conductive polymer layers on different substrates. In this paper, PEDOT‐coated polyester (PET) yarns were prepared under specific reaction conditions, and the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties were compared to previously studied PEDOT‐coated viscose yarns. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FT‐IR analysis revealed that polymerization of PEDOT on the surface of the polyester yarns has been taken place successfully and structural analysis showed that PEDOT has strong interactions with viscose yarns as compared to PET yarns. The voltage–current (V–I) characteristics showed that PET yarns are more conductive than PEDOT‐coated viscose yarns. The variation in the conductivity of PEDOT‐coated yarns and the heat generation properties during the flow of current through coated yarns for longer period of time, was studied by time–current (t–I) characteristics. Thermogravimeteric analysis (TGA) was employed to investigate the thermal properties and the amount of PEDOT in PEDOT‐coated PET yarns compared to PEDOT‐coated viscose. The effect of PEDOT coating and ferric (III) chloride concentration on the mechanical properties of coated yarns was evaluated by tensile testing. The obtained PEDOT‐coated conductive polyester yarns could be used in smart clothing for medical and military applications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

OCVD polymerization of PEDOT: effect of pre‐treatment steps on PEDOT‐coated conductive fibers and a morphological study of PEDOT distribution on textile yarns

The functionalization of textile fibers with intrinsically conductive polymers has become a prominent research area throughout the world. A number of coating techniques have already been utilized and optimized to get the uniform layers of conductive polymers on the surface of different substrates. In our previous study, we produced poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐coated conductive fibers by employing oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) technique. This paper describes the effects of pre‐treatment steps, such as surface treatment of textile fibers with organic solvents, drying of oxidant‐enriched fibers at variable temperatures and time, and oxidant type on the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PEDOT‐coated conductive fibers. Two well‐known oxidants, ferric(III)chloride and ferric(III)p‐toluenesulfonate (FepTS), were studied, and then their results were compared. In order to verify the PEDOT‐coated layer and, to some extent, its impregnation inside the viscose yarns, a morphological study was carried out by using the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging technique and computed tomography scanning across the obtained conductive fibers. Differential scanning calorimetric and thermogravimetric analysis were utilized to investigate the thermal properties and the contents of PEDOT in PEDOT‐coated fibers. The mechanical properties of conductive fibers were evaluated by tensile strength testing of produced fibers. Effects of all of these pre‐treatment steps on electrical properties were analyzed with Kiethly picoammeter. This study cannot only be exploited to improve the properties of conductive fibers but also to optimize the oCVD process for the production of conductive textile fibers by coating with different conjugated polymers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of additives and post‐treatment on the thermoelectric performance of vapor‐phase polymerized PEDOT films

Vapor‐phase polymerization (VPP) is an important method for the fabrication of high‐quality conducting polymers, especially poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). In this work, the effects of additives and post‐treatment solvents on the thermoelectric (TE) performance of VPP‐PEDOT films were systematically investigated. The use of 1‐butyl‐3‐menthylinidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF₄], an ionic liquid) was shown to significantly enhance the electrical conductivity of VPP‐PEDOT films compared with other additives. The VPP‐PEDOT film post‐treated with mixed ethylene glycol (EG)/[BMIm][BF₄] solvent displayed the high power factor of 45.3 μW m^?1 K^?2 which is 122% higher than that prepared without any additive or post‐treatment solvent, along with enhanced electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. This work highlighted the superior effect of the [BMIm][BF₄] additive and the EG/[BMIm][BF₄] solvent post‐treatment on the TE performance of the VPP‐PEDOT film. These results should help with developing the VPP method to fabricate high‐performance PEDOT films. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55 , 1738–1744     

Synthesis of electro‐active membranes by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process

In the past two decades, many research is being carried out on coating of textile membranes with conductive polymers. In order to functionalize the textile membranes, coating of different intrinsically conductive polymers can be applied on these membranes through appropriate coating techniques like electrochemical polymerization, wet chemical oxidation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Noticeably, CVD process is one of the most suitable and environment friendly technique. In this research, microporous polyester and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes were coated with conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) by CVD process in the presence of ferric(III)chloride (FeCl₃) used as an oxidant. Polymerization of PEDOT on the surface of membranes and pore size was examined by optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Structural analysis investigated with ATR‐FTIR, which revealed the successful deposition of PEDOT on membranes without damaging their parent structures. The amount of PEDOT in PEDOT‐coated polyester and PTFE membranes was explored with the help of thermogravimeteric analysis. Electrical resistance values of PEDOT‐coated membranes were measured by two probe method. The effect of different electrolyte solutions such as, distilled H₂O, Na₂SO₄, HCl, and H₂SO₄ on electrical properties of produced conductive membranes was investigated after dipping for certain period of time. It was found that membranes dipped in H₂SO₄ show very low electrical resistance values, i.e. 0.85 kΩ for polyester membrane and 1.17 kΩ for PTFE membrane. The obtained PEDOT‐coated electro‐active membranes may find their possible utility in fuel cells, enzymatic fuel cells, and antistatic air filter applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Production of highly conductive textile viscose yarns by chemical vapor deposition technique: a route to continuous process

An oxidative chemical vapor deposition (OCVD) process was used to coat flexible textile fiber (viscose) with highly conductive polymer, poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in presence of ferric (III) chloride (FeCl₃) oxidant. OCVD is a solvent free process used to get uniform, thin, and highly conductive polymer layer on different substrates. In this paper, PEDOT coated viscose fibers, prepared under specific conditions, exhibited high conductivity 14.2 S/cm. The effects of polymerization conditions, such as polymerization time, oxidant concentration, dipping time of viscose fiber in oxidant solution, and drying time of oxidant treated viscose fiber, were carefully investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FT‐IR analysis revealed that polymerization of PEDOT on surface of viscose fiber has been taken place and structural analysis showed strong interactions between PEDOT and viscose fiber. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to investigate the amount of PEDOT in PEDOT coated viscose fiber and interaction of PEDOT with viscose fiber. The effect of PEDOT coating on the mechanical properties of the viscose fiber was evaluated by tensile strength testing of the coated fibers. The obtained PEDOT coated viscose fiber having high conductivity, could be used in smart clothing for medical and military applications, heat generation, and solar cell demonstrators. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of vapor phase polymerized poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) films with poly(ethyleneimine)

Tuning the molecular rearrangement and oxidation level has been proven to be effective strategies for optimizing the thermoelectric (TE) performance of PEDOT. It is difficult to achieve these effects simultaneously via a one‐step process, however. In this work, we combined vapor phase polymerization (VPP) and H₂SO₄ post‐treatment to obtain a highly conductive PEDOT film. A novel strategy using polyethylenemine (PEI) as an effective reducing agent was employed to enhance the thermopower of the PEDOT film. Grazing‐Incidence Wide‐Angle X‐ray Scattering analysis and the changes in the oxidation level allow us to elucidate the role of PEI and its transport mechanism. It is demonstrated that the thermopower of well‐ordered crystallites in the PEDOT film significantly increases more than five times (from 11 to 59 μV K^?1) by the PEI‐DMF solution immersion process, while the electrical conductivity is maintained at 100 S cm^?1. The promising method connecting VPP, H₂SO₄, and PEI shows great potential for effectively tuning the thermopower of organic TE materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 257–265     

Preparation and Characterization of Prometryn Molecularly Imprinted Solid‐Phase Microextraction Fibers

Abstract

A novel reproducible solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) coating was prepared on the surface of silanized silica fibers by molecularly imprinted polymerization using prometryn as template molecule. The structure and extraction performance of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coating was studied with the scanning electron microscope and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Specific selectivity was found with the prometryn MIP‐coated fiber to prometry and its structural analogues such as atrazine, simetryn, terbutylazin, ametryn, propazine and terbutryn. In contrast, these triazines could not be selectively extracted by the non‐imprinted polymer fiber or commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB), polyacrylate (PA) fibers.     

Aligning poly[1,6‐di‐(N‐carbazolyl)‐2,4‐hexadiyne] crystalline fibers as conducting channels for transistor applications

Aligned crystallites of 1,6‐di‐(N‐carbazolyl)‐2,4‐hexadiyne (DCHD) were prepared on the phenyltrichlorosilane‐modified SiO₂/Si surface using the brush‐coating method. The length and width as well as the orientation of the crystallites depend on the coating speed. At a lower coating speed of 0.2 ~ 0.3 mm/s, well‐separated fibers with a width of 1–2 μm and a length of hundreds of μm were grown along the coating direction. Higher speeds resulted in shorter fibers together with randomly oriented tiny crystallites appearing in between. The diacetylene crystallites upon UV irradiation gave polydiacetylene fibers with deformations along the fiber axis. The poly(ene‐yne) backbones were shown to align along the fiber axes. With these poly‐DCHD fibers as a conducting channel for transistor fabrication, a highest field‐effect mobility of 0.039 cm²/Vs was obtained.     

Polydopamine‐coated cotton fibers as the adsorbent for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction

Polydopamine was coated onto cotton fibers as the adsorbent to improve the extraction efficiency. Polydopamine‐coated cotton fibers were placed into a polyetheretherketone tube for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction. To develop an online analysis system, the extraction tube was connected with high‐performance liquid chromatography. The tube was evaluated with five estrogenic analytes, and the extraction and desorption conditions were optimized to get high extraction efficiency. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors of five analytes were 143–1745. An online analysis method was established, it had large linear ranges (0.10–40 and 0.16–40 μg/L), low limits of detection (0.03, 0.05 μg/L) and satisfactory repeatability (≤3.2%). The analysis method was applied to detect targets in the real samples like as hot water in new plastic cup and tap water. The relative recoveries spiked at 1 and 5 μg/L in these samples were investigated and the results were in the range of 83.7–109%.     

Scientific Importance of Water‐Processable PEDOT–PSS and Preparation,Challenge and New Application in Sensors of Its Film Electrode: A Review

In this review, PEDOT–PSS is mainly a commercially available PEDOT–PSS, which is a water‐dispersible form of the intrinsically conducting PEDOT doped with the water‐soluble PSS, including its derivatives, copolymers, analogs (PEDOT:PSSs), even their composites via the chemical or physical modification toward the structure of PEDOT and/or PSS. First, we will focus on discussing the scientific importance of PEDOT–PSS in conjunction with its extraordinary properties and broad multidisciplinary applications in organic/polymeric electronics and optoelectronics from the viewpoint of the historical development and the promising application of representative ECPs. Subsequently, versatile film‐forming techniques for the preparation of PEDOT–PSS film electrode were described in details, including common coating approaches and printing techniques, and many emerging preparative methods were mentioned. Then challenges (e.g., conductivity, stability in Water, adhesion to substrate electrode) of PEDOT–PSS film electrode for devices under the high humidity/watery circumstances, especially electrochemical devices are discussed. Fourth, we take PEDOT–PSS film electrode for a relatively new application in sensors as an example, mainly summarized advances in the development of various sensors based on PEDOT–PSSs and their composites in combination with its preparative methods and extraordinary properties. Finally, we give the outlook of PEDOT–PSS for possible applications with the emphasis on PEDOT–PSS film electrode for electrochemical devices, including sensors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 55, 1121–1150     

Preparation of polybenzoxazole fibers via electrospinning and postspun thermal cyclization of polyhydroxyamide

Polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers with a submicron diameter were successfully prepared by electrospinning its precursor, polyhydroxyamide (PHA), solutions to obtain the PHA fibers first, followed by appropriate thermal treatments for cyclization reaction. BisAPAF‐IC PHA with two different molecular weights (MWs) were synthesized from a low temperature polymerization of 2,2′‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (BisAPAF) and isophthaloyl chloride (IC). Using dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), solvent effects on the electrospinnability of PHA solutions were investigated. For balancing the solution properties, it was found that DMAc/THF mixture with a weight ratio of 1/9 was the best cosolvent to prepare smooth PHA fibers; uniform PHA fibers with a diameter of 325–720 nm were obtained by using 20 wt % PHA/(DMAc/THF) solutions. For a fixed PHA concentration, solutions with a lower MW of PHA yielded thinner electrospun fibers under the same electrospinning condition. After obtaining the electrospun BisAPAF‐IC PHA fibers, subsequent thermal cyclization up to 350 °C produced the corresponding thermally stable BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers with a diameter of 305–645 nm. The structure of the precursor fibers and the fully cyclized fibers were characterized by FTIR. For the cyclized BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers, thermogravimetric analysis showed a 5% weight loss temperature at 523 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The interconnected fiber structure in the BisAPAF‐IC PBO fiber mats was irrelevant to the curing process, but resulted from the jet merging during the whipping process as revealed by the high speed camera images. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8159–8169, 2008     

Preparation,properties and application of modified fibers with piperazine rings

The paper is devoted to the preparation of copolyamides from ϵ‐caprolactam with 6.1–24.5 wt% of the nylon salt of adipic acid and 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperazine. Molecular characteristics and thermal properties of the prepared copolyamides have been studied. Fibers from copolyamides and blend fibers containing polyamide 6 and copolyamides have been prepared and their properties have been evaluated. Modified fibers have better electrical properties, higher sorption of water vapour, lower orientation factor and tensile strength and practically the same elongation at break in comparison with non modified polyamide 6 fibers. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of high‐temperature polyurethane by alloying with reactive polyamide

A series of novel poly(urethane amide) films were prepared by the reaction of a polyurethane (PU) prepolymer and a soluble polyamide (PA) containing aliphatic hydroxyl groups in the backbone. The PU prepolymer was prepared by the reaction of polyester polyol and 2,4‐tolylenediisocyanate and then was end‐capped with phenol. Soluble PA was prepared by the reaction of 1‐(m‐aminophenyl)‐2‐(p‐aminophenyl)ethanol and terephthaloyl chloride. The PU prepolymer and PA were blended, and the clear, transparent solutions were cast on glass substrates; this was followed by thermal treatments at various temperatures to produce reactions between the isocyanate group of the PU prepolymer and the hydroxyl group of PA. The opaque poly(urethane amide) films showed various properties, from those of plastics to those of elastomers, depending on the ratio of the PU and PA components. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed two glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's), a lower T_g due to the PU component and a higher T_g due to the PA component, suggesting that the two polymer components were phase‐separated. The rubbery plateau region of the storage modulus for the elastic films was maintained up to about 250 °C, which is considerably higher than for conventional PUs. Tensile measurements of the elastic films of 90/10 PU/PA showed that the elongation was as high as 347%. This indicated that the alloying of PU with PA containing aliphatic hydroxyl groups in the backbone improved the high‐temperature properties of PU and, therefore, enhanced the use temperature of PU. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3497–3503, 2002     

Fiber property and structure development of polyester blend fibers reinforced with a thermotropic liquid‐crystal polymer

Ternary blend fibers (TBFs), based on melt blends of poly(ethylene 2,6‐naphthalate), poly(ethylene terephthalate), and a thermotropic liquid‐crystal polymer (TLCP), were prepared by a process of melt blending and spinning to achieve high‐performance fibers. The reinforcement effect of the polymer matrix by the TLCP component, the fibrillar structure with TLCP fibrils of high aspect ratios, and the development of more ordered and perfect crystalline structures by an annealing process resulted in the improvement of the tensile strength and modulus for the TBFs. An increase in the apparent crystallite size with the spinning speed was attributed to the development of larger crystallites and more ordered crystalline structures in the annealed TBFs. The birefringence and density of the TBFs increased with increasing spinning speed, the TBFs becoming more oriented and the crystal packing becoming more enhanced. The molecular orientation was an important factor in determining the tensile strength and modulus of the TBFs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 395–403, 2004     

Ultrafine electrospun polyamide‐6 fibers: Effect of emitting electrode polarity on morphology and average fiber diameter

Electrostatic spinning or electrospinning is now a well‐known process for fabricating ultrafine fibers with diameters in the submicrometer down to nanometer range from materials of diverse origins. The polarity of the emitting electrode (i.e., the one that is in contact with the polymer solution or melt) can be either positive or negative. In the present contribution, the effects of emitting electrode polarity and some processing parameters (i.e., polyamide‐6 (PA‐6) concentration, molecular weight of PA‐6, electrostatic field strength, solution temperature, solvent type, and addition of an inorganic salt) on morphological appearance and average size of the as‐spun PA‐6 fibers were investigated. Scanning electron micrographs showed obvious morphological difference between the fibers obtained under positive and negative polarity of the emitting electrode. The main differences were that the cross section of the as‐spun PA‐6 fibers obtained under the negative electrode polarity was flat, while that of those obtained under the positive one appeared to be round and that the average size of the fibers obtained under the negative electrode polarity was larger than that of those obtained under the positive one. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3699–3712, 2005     

Fast,Direct, Low‐Cost Route to Scalable,Conductive, and Multipurpose Poly(3,4‐ethylenedixoythiophene)‐Coated Plastic Electrodes

Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films are deposited, using an electroless method, onto flexible plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates of approximately 20×6 cm². The sheet resistance of a PEDOT–PET film is approximately 600 Ω per square, and the nanoscale conductivity is 0.103 S cm^?1. A plastic electrochromic PEDOT–Prussian blue device is constructed. The device undergoes a color change of pale blue to deep violet–blue reversibly over 1000 cycles, thus demonstrating its use as a light‐modulating smart window. The PEDOT–PET film is also used in a quantum dot solar cell, and the resulting photoelectrochemical performance and work function indicate that it is also promising for photovoltaic cells. The high homogeneity of the PEDOT deposit on PET, the optimal balance between conductivity and optical transparency, and the demonstration of its use in an electro‐optical device and a solar cell, offer the opportunity to use this electrode material in a variety of low‐cost optoelectronic devices.     

Study on structure and performance of surface‐metallized carbon fibers reinforced rigid polyurethane composites

The simultaneous promotion in mechanical and electrical properties of rigid polyurethane (RPU) is an important task for expanding potential application. In this work, carbon fibers (CFs) reinforced RPU composites were prepared with the goal of improving mechanical and electrical properties. Metallized CFs meet our performance requirements and can be easily achieved via electrodeposition. However, the weak bonding strength in fiber‐metal‐RPU interface restricts their application. Inspired by the reducibility and wonderful adhesion of dopamine (DA), we proposed a new and efficient electrochemical method to fabricate metallized CFs, where DA polymerization was simultaneously integrated coupled with the reduction of metal ions (Ni²⁺). The characterization results helped us to gain insight about the reaction mechanism, which was never reported as far as we know. Compared with pure RPU, the tensile, interlaminar shear and impact strength of polydopamine (PDA)‐nickel (Ni) modified CFs/RPU composites were improved by 11.2%, 21.0%, and 78.0%, respectively, which attributed to the strong interfacial adhesion, including mechanical interlocking and chemical crosslinking between treated CFs and RPU. In addition, the PDA‐Ni surface treatment method also affected the dispersion of short CFs in the RPU, which increased the possibility of conductor contact and reduced insulator between fibers networks, resulting in higher electrical conductivity.     

Basalt fibers grafted with a poly(ionic liquids) coating for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction

To improve the durability and extraction efficiency of an ionic liquid coating, 1‐dodecyl‐3‐vinylimidazolium bromide was polymerized and grafted onto basalt fibers for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction. To develop an extraction tube, basalt fibers grafted with the poly(ionic liquids) coating were filled into a polyether ether ketone tube with a 0.75 mm inner diameter. The extraction tube was connected to high‐performance liquid chromatography system equipped with a sampling pump to build an online enrichment and analysis system. Using four common phthalates as model analytes, the extraction tube was investigated by the online analysis system. Good enrichment performance was exhibited by high enrichment factors ranging from 851 to 1858. Under the optimum conditions, an online analysis method was established, and good linearity (0.03–12 and 0.15–12 μg/L) and low limits of detection (0.01–0.05 μg/L) were achieved. This analysis method was applied to real samples including water in a disposable plastic box and the bottled water, some targets were detected but not quantified, and the relative recoveries spiked at 2, 5 and 10 μg/L were in the range of 86.4–119.5%.     

Enzymatic‐catalyzed polymerization of water‐soluble electrically conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS

Water‐soluble electrically conductive polymer poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was synthesized by the enzymatic‐catalyzed method using 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) as monomer, poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) as water‐soluble polyelectrolyte, horseradish peroxidase enzyme as catalyst, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as oxidant. Fourier transform infrared spectra and UV–vis absorption spectra confirm the successful enzymatic‐catalyzed polymerization of PEDOT. Dynamic light scattering data confirm the formation of a stable PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion. The thermo gravimetric data show that the obtained PEDOT is stable over a fairly high range of temperatures. The atomic force microscopy height images show that the PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion can form excellent homogeneous and smooth films on various substrates by conventional solution processing techniques, which renders this PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion a very promising candidate for various application in electronic devices. This enzymatic polymerization is a new approach for the synthesis of optical and electrical active PEDOT polymer, which benefits simple setting, high yields, and environmental friendly route. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and properties of thermoresponsive and conductive composite fibers with core‐sheath structure

In this research, thermoresponsive and conductive fibers with core‐sheath structure were fabricated by coaxial electrospinning. For preparing the spinning sheath solution, poly‐(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N‐methylolacrylamide) (PNN) copolymer having thermoresponsive and cross‐linkable properties was synthesized by free‐radical polymerization using redox initiators; it was then mixed with the conductive poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) at different weight ratios in water. On the other hand, poly(butyl acrylate‐co‐styrene) (PBS) copolymer synthesized by emulsion polymerization was dissolved in chloroform and used as the spinning core solution. After electrospinning, the fibers were treated at 110 °C for 1 h to cross‐link the PNN portion in the sheath for strengthening the fibers. Well‐defined core‐sheath fibers were observed from SEM pictures; the outside and inside (core) diameters were 568 ± 24 and 290 ± 40 nm, respectively, as determined from TEM pictures. The fiber mats were further doped by DMSO to enhance their conductivity. For the fiber mat with the weight ratio of PEDOT:PSS/PNN at 0.20 in the sheath, its surface conductivity could reach 29.4 S/cm. In addition, the fiber mats exhibited thermoresponsive properties that both swelling ratio and electric resistance decreased with temperature. Furthermore, the fiber mats exhibited improved flexibility as evaluated via bending test. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1299–1307