Conducting Polymers with Micro or Nanometer Structure describes a topic discovered by three winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000: Alan J. Heeger, University of California at Santa Barbara, Alan G. MacDiarmid at the University of Pennsylvania, and Hideki Shirakawa at the University of Tsukuba. Since then, the unique properties of conducting polymers have led to promising applications in functional materials and technologies. The book first briefly summarizes the main concepts of conducting polymers before introducing micro/nanostructured conducting polymers dealing with their synthesis, structural characterizations, formation mechanisms, physical and chemical properties, and potential applications in nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The book is intended for researchers in the related fields of chemistry, physics, materials, nanomaterials and nanodevices. Meixiang Wan is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing.

An insightful exploration of cutting-edge spectroscopic techniques in polymer characterization In Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization: Methods, Instrumentation, Applications, a team of distinguished chemists delivers a comprehensive exploration of the vast potential of spectroscopic characterization techniques in polymer research. The book offers a concise outline of the principles, advantages, instrumentation, experimental techniques, and noteworthy applications of cutting-edge spectroscopy. Covering a wide range of polymers, from nylon to complex polymeric nanocomposites, the author presents recent developments in polymer science to polymer, analytical, and material chemists, assisting them in keeping track of the progress in modern spectroscopy. Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization contains contributions from pioneers in modern spectroscopic techniques from around the world. The included materials bridge the gap between spectroscopists, polymer scientists, and engineers in academia and industry. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the progress in spectroscopic techniques, including polymer spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy Comprehensive explorations of topical polymers studied by spectroscopy, including polymer thin films, fluoropolymers, polymer solutions, conductive polymers Practical discussions of infrared imaging, near-infrared imaging, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, and far-ultraviolet spectroscopy In-depth examinations of spectroscopic studies of weak hydrogen bonding in polymers Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization: Methods, Instrumentation, Applications is a must-read reference for polymer, analytical, and physical chemists, as well as materials scientists and spectroscopists seeking a one-stop resource for polymer characterization using spectroscopic analyses.

This report explains the theory of polymer conductivity, and discusses developments in the synthesis of the major polymers. A detailed section on practical applications follows a discussion of the improved electrical and mechanical properties and environmental stability which make such applications possible. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provides useful references for further reading.

Providing a vital link between nanotechnology and conductive polymers, this book covers advances in topics of this interdisciplinary area. In each chapter, there is a discussion of current research issues while reviewing the background of the topic. The selection of topics and contributors from around the globe make this text an outstanding resource for researchers involved in the field of nanomaterials or polymer materials design. The book is divided into three sections: From Conductive Polymers to Nanotechnology, Synthesis and Characterization, and Applications.

This book is a systematic survey of the knowledge accumulated in this field in the last thirty years. It includes material on the thermodynamic aspects of the polymers, the theory of the mechanism of charge transport processes, and the chemical and physical properties of these compounds. Also covered are the techniques of characterization, the electrochemical methods of synthesis, and the application of these systems. Inzelt’s book is a must-read for electrochemists and others.

Until about 30 years ago all carbon-based polymers were regarded strictly as insulators, and hence were extensively utilized by the electronics industry for this very property. They have been used as inactive packaging and insulating material. This very narrow perspective has rapidly changed with the emergence of intrinsically conducting polymers. The combination of conventional polymers with conductive polymers or fillers is an important alternative to obtaining new polymeric materials with designed properties. Through the combination of conventional polymers with conductive polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and so on, the mechanical properties of conducting polymers can be improved. The insulating polymer removes the brittleness and lack of processibility that are the main drawbacks hindering conducting polymers. Blend applications require that conductivity is achieved at a small weight fraction of conducting polymer. There is also an increased requirement for polymeric materials whose electrical conductivity can be tailored. The aim this chapter is to describe conducting polymer blend systems to identify characteristic trends that might be useful for the investigation of their potential application in various electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Conjugated polymer composites with high dielectric constants are being developed by the electronics industry in response to the need for power-grounded decoupling to secure the integrity of high-speed signals and to reduce electromagnetic interference. Electrically conducting polymers are materials that simultaneously possess the physical and chemical properties of organic polymers and the electronic characteristics of metals. Multifunctional micro- and nanostructures of conjugated polymers, such as of pyrrole, have received great attention in recent years because they can polymerize easily and have high conductivity and good thermal stability. They, however, have some disadvantages such as brittleness and hard processability, which can be overcome by developing their nanocomposites. Nanofiber materials with different dielectric properties can be made from conjugated polymer composites and used in the electronics industry, in sensors and batteries, for electrical stimulation to enhance nerve-regeneration process, and for constructing scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering. Electrospinning is a versatile technique that is used to produce ultrathin continuous fibers with high surface-to-volume and aspect ratios from a variety of materials, including polymers, composites, and ceramics. Conductive materials in fibrillar shape may be advantageous compared with films because of their inherent properties such as anisotropy, high surface area, and mechanical strength. They are of particular interest in electroactive composites as they can be efficiently distributed in an insulating polymer matrix to improve both electrical and mechanical properties. Combination of electrical properties with good mechanical performance is of particular interest in electroactive polymer technology. This book covers the general aspects of electrospinning and discusses the fundamental concepts that can be used to produce nanofibers with the help of mathematical models and equations. It also details the methods through which different polymeric structures can be included in conjugated polymers during electrospinning to form composites or blends of conjugated polymer nanofibers.