Advancements and Applications of Conductive Polymers: A Review
Emphasizing their types, production techniques, and uses in electronics and energy storage, this paper investigates conductive polymers highlights challenges and future possibilities for technological developments.
Introduction to Conductive Polymers
A class of materials known as conductive polymers combines the conductivity of organic conductors with the properties of conventional polymers. Because of their special qualities—such as intrinsic conductive networks, adjustable mechanical properties, and easiness of processing—these polymers have attracted great interest in material research (Guo et al., 2023). Doping engineering has driven developments in doping engineering that have defined the historical evolution of conductive polymers and produced materials with great electrical conductivity, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Adding different dopants, such anionic surfactants, into the polymer matrix can help to increase the conductivity of these polymers even more (Fan et al., 2008).
Conductive polymers are important because of their wide spectrum of uses, which include smart electronics, energy conversion/storage, gas sensors, and physical sensors for healthcare monitoring, Tu et al., 2021;, Wang et al., 2012. These polymers have been used in the creation of creative materials such core-shell nanofibers for highly sensitive gas sensors, in which polymeric adsorbents are combined inside conducting polymeric nanostructures (Wang et al., 2012). By providing a mix between conductivity and mechanical strength (Kwon et al., 2011;, Gómez et al., 2021), conductive polymer composites—especially those including carbon nanotubes—have shown promise in many uses, including organic electronics and coatings.
By means of conductive fillers—such as carbon black or inorganic fillers—into polymer matrices, it has been demonstrated that the electrical conductivity of composite materials is improved, so rendering them appropriate for high-performance applications including lithium batteries (“Polymer Composites in Energy Based on Fluid Mechanics”, 2022;, Huy et al., 2021). Furthermore, the regulated inclusion of conductive polymers such as polypyrrole has been demonstrated to lower spark sensitivity in nanothermites, hence underscoring the several uses for these materials (Goetz et al., 2022;, Goetz & Gibot, 2023).
A flexible class of materials with a long history of research and many uses in many different fields, conductive polymers are These polymers remain very important in the progress of material science and technology thanks to developments in doping engineering, composite formulations, and the integration of new additives.
Types and Synthesis of Conductive Polymers
Among the most often used materials in conductive polymers are polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene. By chemical doping methods with dopants such as dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) Poddar & Patel (2021), polyaniline (PANI) can get high conductivity. Usually including oxidants like ammonium persulfate and ferric chloride (Jagadeshvaran & Bose, 2023), polypyrrole synthesis One further well-known conductive polymer is polythiophene.
Different techniques allow one to synthesize these conductive polymers. Commonly used chemical polymerization methods include oxidative polymerization of moners such aniline, pyrrole, or thiophene (Wang et al., 2004;, Rahy et al., 2008;, Deshmukh et al., 2014). Precise control over the polymerization process and its use to synthesis conductive polymer nanotube structures (Xiao et al., 2007;, Cho et al., 2005;, Cho & Lee, 2008) come from electrochemical methods including electropolymerization. Polypyrrole and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) (Choose et al., 2005) have controlled electrochemical production of conductive polymer nanotubes shown.
Sonoelectrochemical methods have been used in the production of conductive polymers to generate films with particular morphological and adhesion characteristics (Dejeu et al., 2010). Additionally under investigation is the application of surfactants and oxidizing agents to customize the characteristics of resultant conductive polymer nanocomposites (Castillo-Reyes et al., 2014; Arjomandi & Tadayyonfar, 2013). Successful single-step synthesis of hybrid nanotubes, such polypyrrole-gold composites, shows the possibility to generate new composite materials (Sarma et al., 2012).
Key conductive polymers with special qualities that find use in many different disciplines are polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene. These polymers are synthesized by chemical polymerization using electrochemical methods, therefore enabling exact control over their structure and properties. Novel approaches help to progress conductive polymer synthesis and enable the creation of novel materials with specific uses.
Applications and Future Perspectives
Conductive polymers include polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene find use in electronics, energy storage, and sensors among other areas. Because they can move between semiconducting and conducting states, these polymers have showed promise in electronics in the development of optoelectronic devices, hence providing flexibility in device design and fabrication Kaloni et al. (2017). Additionally used in energy storage applications are conductive polymers; polythiophene shows promise for usage in charge storage devices and high-frequency applications (Moosvi & Majid, 2017). Conducting polymers’ material flexibilities and tuned conductivities appeal to energy storage technologies (Moosvi & Majid, 2017).
Within the field of sensors, polyaniline and other conductable polymers have been investigated extensively for their chemiresistive sensing properties, therefore allowing the identification of many chemical and biological species (Song & Choi, 2013). Because of their environmental stability and simplicity of synthesis (Virji et al., 2004), polyaniline nanofibers have especially attracted interest for use in gas sensing. These materials have been combined into chemiresistive sensors for gas detection including hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, therefore highlighting its possibilities in environmental and industrial monitoring (Shirsat et al., 2009;, Sadek et al., 2007).
Future advancements in the field of conductive polymers are probably going to concentrate on raising the sensitivity and selectivity of sensors, so improving the performance of energy storage devices, and so broadening the uses of these materials in new technologies. Optimizing the synthesis techniques to guarantee repeatability and scalability, addressing the stability and durability of the materials in real-world conditions, and lowering production costs to enable broad adoption in many sectors define the challenges confronting the commercial scalability of conductive polymers.
Ultimately, conductive polymers have great promise in sensor uses, energy storage, and electronics. Overcoming current difficulties and fully utilizing these materials for next technological developments depend on ongoing research and development projects.
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