Electrical Properties of Conductive Polymers

Chemical and Biochemical Sensors. The sensitivity of the electrical properties of conductive polymers to chemical stimuli suggests they may prove useful in a number of sensing applications. 

The state of the art is such that an understanding of these processes is now well established, and an exciting fertile field lies before intelligent material research scientists. We can, by design, control the chemical and electrical properties of conducting polymers at the point of assembly. How these properties are likely to vary as a result of application of external stimuli can also be manipulated by the synthesis process. 

Recent applications of SPM techniques have revealed new details of the electrical properties of conducting polymers. In one example, STM images were taken of the granular structure of electrochemically prepared polyaniline films. Simultane-... 

Charge transport in electrically conducting polymers (ECP) is related to the role of easily polarisable delocalised p-electrons, which determines the electrical properties of conducting polymers [75]. Changes in molecular structure due to the localisation of p-electrons and electronic repulsion between the polycations influence the operation of a conducting polymer micro-acutator [76]. 

The reversible redox properties of conducting polymers are suitable for application to rechargeable batteries. For lithium ion batteries, conducting polymers can be used as cathode materials. Conducting polymers are also effective for fuel cell application as protective layers on anodes. The excellent redox and electric properties of conducting polymers are promising candidates for capacitor application. 

Kim Bohwon, Koncar Vladan, and Devaux Eric. Electrical properties of conductive polymers PET -nanocomposites fibres. AUTEXRes. J. 4 no. 1 (2004) 9-13. 

Thermo-electric properties of conductive polymer nanofibers can be interesting for energy generation. In this case, a temperature gradient across a material is exploited to generate electricity (Seebeck effect). To this aim, one of the most important performance parameters is the dimensionless figure of merit ... 

On the basis of the dependence of the adhesion force versus applied bias and the current-voltage characteristics of polythiophene, it can be concluded that characterization of electrical properties of conducting polymers using CP-AFM at a desired force requires knowledge of the adhesion force. 

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