Advancement in the Production and Applications of Conductive Polymers (CPs)

Abstract

Conductive polymers are a class of engineering materials which possess remarkably reversible redox property and atypical combination of characteristics of plastics and metals. The potential usefulness of conductive polymers has grown exceedingly in the technological field such as telecommunication, electronics, storage systems and protective devices. The prospective of conductive polymers has further deepened the interest of researchers for their applications in several areas. Some of the popular types of conductive polymers are polythiophene, polyindole, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polyphenyl vinylene, polyaniline, Poly (3,4ethylenedioxythiophene), which are produced via redox and chemical (CM) or electrochemical (ECM) oxidation processes. Polymers are doped to introduce charge carriers known as polarons and bipolarons into them, to make them conductive. Conductive polymers have limitations such as a poor mechanical characteristic or poor flexibility, low process-ability and poor biocompatibility, which have made researchers investigate different chemical modification methods. Conductive polymers have potential applications in the field of supercapacitors, solar cells, biosensors, chemical sensors and actuators, tissue engineering, e.t.c. This article has attempted to provide an up to date review on different aspects of conductive polymers such as production, doping, applications and conductivity of selected conductive polymers.