Polythiophene composites: a review of selected applications

Abstract

Conducting polymers (CPs) provide a class of processible, film forming semiconductors and metals. Electrical and optical properties of CPs, similar to those of metals and semiconductors, and the attractive properties associated with conventional polymers such as ease of synthesis and processing, has given these polymers a wide range of applications in the microelectronics industry, in biological field and also as humidity, chemical and mechanical sensors. The principal interest in the use of polymers lies in the scope for low cost manufacturing. Organic polymers offer several advantages over analogous inorganic semiconductors, the most important of which are the processability and the large surface film technology together with the possibility of tuning the polymer properties through a chemical design of the constituent units. In contrast, problems of environmental stability and the inability to process these into useful devices constitute the main drawbacks of organic materials. To set a material suitable for applications in various technological fields one has to improve the processability, mechanical strength and environmental stability of the polyheterocycles: one method adopted to do this is synthesizing the composites of conducting polymers within a matrix of insulating polymers. In this paper, the science of conducting polymers will be discussed. A review from literature on selected applications of organic devices based on conducting polythiophene and its composites will be discussed with a view to targeting the areas of future research in this topic.

Polythiophene Coated Cellulosic Fibers from Banana Stem for Improved Electrical, Mechanical, Thermal and Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene Composites

“…Discovery of polymers with intrinsic electrical conduction has been a major milestone in polymer engineering opening up a wide range of potential applications. Polythiophene (PTH) is one of the important conducting polymers studied extensively on account of its good environmental stability, unique redox electrical behavior, stability in doped or neutral states, ease of synthesis and possibility of applications in many fields [1,2]. A major limitation for wider application of conducting polymers in general and polythiophene in particular is low processability resulting from insolubility and  infusibility.…”

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of poly(phenylene disulfides) with insulating properties and resistant to high temperatures

“…The synthesis of sulfur‐containing oligomers and polymers has been studied by several authors because of their interesting properties such as high melting temperature, thermal stability, biodegradability, optical activity, conductivity and photoconductivity . These properties are due to the high polarizability and high reactivity of sulfur atoms, as well as the flexibility of S–S and C–S bonds .…”

Spectroelectrochemistry of Intrinsically Conducting Selenophene-3-Chlorothiophene Copolymers

“…Thiophene-based polymers are very stable in its oxidized form which makes these systems one of the most studied conducting polymers. 15,16 Much interest has been generated toward substituted polythiophenes. Integration of substitutions in the monomers influences appreciably the properties of the obtained polymer films.…”