Since the initial discovery in 1977, that polyacetylene (CH)(x), now commonly known as the prototype conducting polymer, could be p- or n-doped either chemically or electrochemically to the metallic state, the development of the field of conducting polymers has continued to accelerate at an unexpectedly rapid rate and a variety of other conducting polymers and their derivatives have been discovered. Other types of doping are also possible, such as "photo-doping" and "charge-injection doping" in which no counter dopant ion is involved. One exciting challenge is the development of low-cost disposable plastic/paper electronic devices. Conventional inorganic conductors, such as metals, and semiconductors, such as silicon, commonly require multiple etching and lithographic steps in fabricating them for use in electronic devices. The number of processing and etching steps involved limits the minimum price. On the other hand, conducting polymers combine many advantages of plastics, for example, flexibility and processing from solution, with the additional advantage of conductivity in the metallic or semiconducting regimes; however, the lack of simple methods to obtain inexpensive conductive polymer shapes/patterns limit many applications. Herein is described a novel, simple, and cheap method to prepare patterns of conducting polymers by a process which we term, "Line Patterning".

"Synthetic Metals": A Novel Role for Organic Polymers (Nobel Lecture).

‘Polyaniline’: Protonic acid doping of the emeraldine form to the metallic regime

Polyaniline nanofibers with uniform diameters between 30 and 50 nm can be made in bulk quantities through a facile aqueous/organic interfacial polymerization method at ambient conditions. The nanofibers have lengths varying from 500 nm to several micrometers and form interconnected networks. Thin films made of the nanofibers have superior performance in both sensitivity and time response to vapors of acid (HCl) and base (NH3).

Polyaniline nanofibers: facile synthesis and chemical sensors.

Electrochemical energy storage systems (batteries) have a tremendous role in technical applications In this review the authors examine the prospects of electroactive polymers in view of the properties required for such batteries Conducting organic polymers are considered here in the light of their rugged chemical environment: organic solvents, acids, and alkalis The goal of the present article is to provide, first of all in tabular form, a survey of electroactive polymers in view of potential applications in rechargeable batteries It reviews the preparative methods and the electrochemical performance of polymers as rechargeable battery electrodes The theoretical values of specific charge of the polymers are comparable to those of metal oxide electrodes, but are not as high as those of most of the metal electrodes normally used in batteries Therefore, it is an advantage in conventional battery designs to use the conducting polymer as a positive electrode material in combination with a negative electrode such as Li, Na, Mg, Zn, MeH{sub x}, etc 504 refs

Electrochemically Active Polymers for Rechargeable Batteries.

Polyaniline: a polymer with many interesting intrinsic redox states

Polyaniline: a new concept in conducting polymers

“Polyaniline” has been synthesized in various forms both chemically and electrochemically in aqueous media. The qulnoid-benzenoid-diimine form, an insulator, is doped by dilute aqueous protonic acids to the metallic regime ([sgrave] = 5 ohm−1cm−1; compressed pellet) to give the corresponding iminium salt. This represents a new type of p-doping phenomenon in a conducting polymer. Both these forms are stable in the presence of air and/or water. The doping process is reversed by treatment with aqueous alkali. Cyclic voltammetry studies in an aqueous electrolyte show excellent reversibility between selected reduced and oxidized forms of polyaniline.

“Polyaniline”: Interconversion of Metallic and Insulating Forms

Detailed experimental procedures are given for the chemical synthesis from aniline of analytically pure emeraldine hydrochloride, a highly conducting polymer derived from the emeraldine oxidation state of polyaniline, which contains equal numbers of oxidized and reduced repeat units, the non-protonated base form of which has the composition,. In the as-synthesized polymer, ∼ 42% of the nitrogen atoms are protonated i.e. “doped”. Treatment of this material with 1.0M aqueous HCl gives by elemental analysis, the most highly conducting (metallic) form of the emeraldine oxidation state of polyaniline in which 50% of the nitrogen atoms are protonated. Experimental details are given for converting the as-formed emeraldine hydrochloride to analytically pure emeraldine base. The conductivities of samples of emeraldine base protonated by aqueous HCl to various extents as determined by elemental analysis are reported. Electrochemical studies involving the emeraldine base are consistent with its having a composition very close to the proposed composition involving equal numbers of oxidized and reduced repeat units.

Polyaniline: Synthesis and Characterization of the Emeraldine Oxidation State by Elemental Analysis

“Polyaniline” has been synthesized in various forms both chemically and electrochemically in aqueous media. The quinoid-benzenoid-diimine form, an insulator, is doped by dilute aqueous protonic acids to the metallic regime ([sgrave] ∼ 5 ohm−1cm−1; compressed pellet) to give the corresponding iminium salt. The polymer is not oxidized during the doping process. This represents a new type of p-doping phenomenon in a conducting polymer. Both these forms of polyaniline are stable in the presence of air and/ or water. The doping process is reversed by treatment with aqueous alkali. The mechanism by which doping occurs is discussed.

J. C. Chiang

Papers

‘Polyaniline’: Protonic acid doping of the emeraldine form to the metallic regime

Polyaniline: a new concept in conducting polymers

“Polyaniline”: Interconversion of Metallic and Insulating Forms

Polyaniline: Synthesis and Characterization of the Emeraldine Oxidation State by Elemental Analysis

Polyaniline: Protonic Acid Doping to the Metallic Regime