Chemical stabilization of conducting

During recent years, there has been an increasing research interest in the field of conductive and semi-conductive polymers, both of which are materials of major importance for the development of optoelectronic devices and many other applications. EPR spectroscopy is an especially effective method for the investigation of these materials, because it enables to observe the spin quasi-particles responsible for charge transport. As the mechanical properties and chemical stability of conductive polymers are usually poor, their blends with elastomers or plastics have been considered as alternative materials with improved processability and durability. The most extensively examined of these systems are those which contain polyaniline (PANI) that is brought to a conducting state by doping with an acid (i.e., transition from an emeraldine base form to an emeraldine salt). 

The general conclusion on this subject was that the chemical stability of conducting polymers must first be investigated in vacuum before further studies can be carried out in various electrolytes. If the polymer is stable in vacuum, other factors such as impurities, electrode morphology, formation of a passivating layer, chemical reaction with the electrolyte should be studied for their contribution to the conducting polymers stability or instability in the electrolyte. 

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