Unveiling the role of lateral charge intrusion in the humidity stability of giant surface potentials: Toward reliable organic electret applications

Giant surface potentials (GSPs) generated by spontaneous orientation polarization in vacuum-deposited organic films have attracted considerable attention for applications such as vibrational energy harvesting. However, their stability under humid conditions remains poorly understood. In this study, we systematically investigate the humidity-dependent degradation of GSPs using two representative materials with contrasting electrical properties: insulating a perfluoro-adamantane derivative (PTAA) and more conductive diarylethene derivative (DAE1). While PTAA exhibits excellent stability, DAE1 shows significant potential decay under humid conditions.