Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota)
Ramnagaria, Jagatpura, Jaipur-302017, INDIA
Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
Recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956
Tel. : +91-0141- 5160400 Fax: +91-0141-2759555
E-mail: info@skit.ac.in Web: www.skit.ac.in
Conducting Polymers
Conducting polymers are organic polymers that conduct electricity, as the name
implies. They are also referred to as intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) and
are made up of aromatic rings like thiophene, pyrrole, anthracene, naphthalene,
and ethylene that are joined by carbon-carbon single bonds or that have alternating
single and double bonds along the polymer backbone (conjugated bonds).
Examples: , polypyrrole, polyaniline, and polyacetylene
Properties of Conducting Polymers
⚫ Conductivity polymers have high melting and softening points because the
mobility of the repeat units is highly restricted due to the presence of a fully
aromatic ring structure and the absence of free rotating groups.
⚫ Conductivity polymers show excellent chemical, thermal and oxidative
stability due to low hydrogen content and aromatic structure.
⚫ They can be processed into a highly ordered crystalline thin film that is
electrically conducting upon doping.
⚫ They are insoluble in many common solvents.
Applications of Conducting Polymers
⚫ They are used in the manufacturing of chemical sensors, electro-magnetic
shielding, antistatic coatings, corrosion inhibitors, etc.
⚫ They are also used in compact electronic devices such as polymer-based
transitions, light-emitted diode (LEDs), and lasers.
⚫ They are used for microwave-absorbent coating particularly radar-absorptive
coatings on stealth aircraft.
⚫ They are used in the manufacturing of printed circuit board because it protects
the copper from corrosion and prevents its solderability.
Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota)
Ramnagaria, Jagatpura, Jaipur-302017, INDIA
Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
Recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956
Tel. : +91-0141- 5160400 Fax: +91-0141-2759555
E-mail: info@skit.ac.in Web: www.skit.ac.in
Examples of Conducting Polymers
1. Polyacetylene
Polyacetylene or Polyethyne having a repeating unit (C₂H₂)ₙ, is a rigid, rod-like
polymer that consists of long carbon chains with alternating single and double
bonds between the carbon atoms.
Structure
There are two types of structure of Polyacetylene that is cis- and trans-
polyacetylenes.
Applications
⚫ Doped polyacetylene offers a particularly high electrical conductivity therefore
it can be used in electric wiring or electrode material in lightweight
rechargeable batteries.
⚫ Tri-iodide oxidized polyacetylene can be used as a sensor to measure glucose
concentration.
Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota)
Ramnagaria, Jagatpura, Jaipur-302017, INDIA
Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
Recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956
Tel. : +91-0141- 5160400 Fax: +91-0141-2759555
E-mail: info@skit.ac.in Web: www.skit.ac.in
2. Polyaniline
Polyaniline (PANI) is a conducting polymer of the semi-flexible rod polymer
family which was discovered in the early 1860s by lightfoot through oxidation
of aniline. It behaves like an organic semiconductor that has good electrical
conductivity measured in the units s/cm.
Structure
Applications of Polyaniline
⚫ It is used in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards.
⚫ Polyaniline and its derivatives are used as the base element for the
production of N-doped carbon materials.
⚫ The color change of polyaniline in different oxidation states can be used in
sensors and electrochromic devices.
⚫ Printed emeraldine polyaniline-based sensors have wide application in the
electronic sector.
⚫ 3. Poly-p-phenylene sulphide.
Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota)
Ramnagaria, Jagatpura, Jaipur-302017, INDIA
Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
Recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956
Tel. : +91-0141- 5160400 Fax: +91-0141-2759555
E-mail: info@skit.ac.in Web: www.skit.ac.in
3. Polypyrrole
Polypyrrole (PPy) is an organic polymer having the chemical formula
H(C₄H₂NH)ₙH which is obtained by oxidative polymerization of pyrrole. It is
an intrinsically conducting polymer that is used in electronics, optical, biological,
and medical fields.
Structure
Applications
⚫ Polypyrrole and its related polymers are used in electronic devices and
chemical sensors.
⚫ It can be used as a potential vehicle for drug delivery.
⚫ It can be used as catalyst support for fuel cells.
⚫ It is used to coat silica and reverse-phase silica to yield a material capable of
anion exchange.
Swami Keshvanand Institute of Technology, Management & Gramothan,
(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota)
Ramnagaria, Jagatpura, Jaipur-302017, INDIA
Approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
Recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956
Tel. : +91-0141- 5160400 Fax: +91-0141-2759555
E-mail: info@skit.ac.in Web: www.skit.ac.in
4. Polythiophene
Polythiophene (PT) having the general formula (C₄H₂S)ₙ, is a conductivity
polymer whose conductivity exceeds 100 s/cm. The electrical conductivity of
polythiophene is due to the delocalization of electrons along the polymer
backbone.
Structure
Applications
⚫ They are widely used in solar cells due to their ability to form better contact
with metal electrodes.
⚫ They are also used in polymer batteries and electrochromic devices.
⚫ They can also work with receptors for detecting metal ions or chiral
molecules.
⚫ They show potential in the treatment of prion diseases.
