Conductive Polymers

A class of polymers that conduct electricity. aka. intrinsically conducting polymers.

Unlike traditional polymers, conductive polymers have a conjugated system of double bonds which allows them to conduct electrical charge.

Conjugated polymers

Organic macromolecules that are characterized by a backbone chain of alternating double- and single-bonds.

Their overlapping p-orbitals create a system of delocalized -electrons, which can result in interesting and useful optical and electronic properties.

Doping can be used to further enhance electrical conductivity of these polymers.

Uses

• Organic solar cells
• Microwave-absorbent coatings
• Electroluminescence

Examples

• Polyaniline (PANI)
• Polypyrrole (PPy)
• Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)
• Polythiophene (PT)