Advances in Inherently Conducting Polymers

摘要

The discovery of polyacetylene as the prototype material led to extensive research on its synythesis and characterization. The techniques that emerged as the most important and promising ones are those that dealt with molecular orientation and that resulted in conductivities almost as high as that of copper. The study of dozens of other materials followed. Interest in conducting polymers stems from their nonclassical optical and electronic properties as well as their potential technological applications. However, some of the factors currently limiting their use are the lack of long-term stability and the need to develop conventional low-cost techniques for easy processing. Therefore, research was extended toward solving these problems, and progress has been recently made in that direction. The synthesis of new materials such as stable and easily processable alkylthiophenes, water-soluble polymers, and multicomponent systems, including copolymers and composites, constitutes an important step forward in the area of synthetic metals. However, a full understanding of materials chemistry and properties requires more work in the years to come. Although, few small-scale applications have proven to be successful, long-term stability and applicability tests are needed before their commercial use becomes reality. (ERA citation 13:001265)