Conducting Polymer Films Research Articles

Synthesis of a highly conductive coordination polymer film via a vapor-solid phase chemical conversion process.

A novel vapor-solid phase chemical conversion process is reported here to synthesise high-quality films of the conductive coordination polymer (c-CP) Ag5BHT (BHT = benzenehexanothiolate), which has the potential to be applied for the synthesis and processing of c-CP electronic devices. This approach involves reacting a silver oxide precursor and an H6BHT linker in an isopropanol solvent vapor atmosphere to obtain Ag5BHT thin films with controllable thickness (100-300 nm). The as-synthesized Ag5BHT thin films exhibit conductivities as high as 10 S cm-1. Additionally, under field-effect modulation, these nanofilms demonstrate remarkably high charge mobility (38 cm2 v-1 s-1).

Electrochemical Polymerization of a Novel Thiophene-Derived Monomer and Its Use as Support Material for Methanol Oxidation

This research, conductive polymer supported modified electrode system which was prepared for usage in direct methanol fuel cells. To test the behavior of these electrode system for methanol oxidation, cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CHR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods were used as electrochemical methods. As the working electrode, pencil graphite electrode (PGE) was preferred because of its porous structure, good ion conductivity, practicality in application and ease of preparation and obtaining. Thiophene derivative 4,4')-2,2'-(diazen-1,2 diylbis(4,1 phenylene))bis(4 (thiophene-2-ylmethylene) oxazol-5(4H)-one), (DiAzBiPhBiTyOx) monomer was prepared and electrochemically polymerized by CV method in 0.01M TBAP and 0.05 HClO4 containing ACN solution on the surfaces of PGE. The spectroscopic characterization of the synthesized monomer was performed by NMR spectroscopy. Optimum polymerization conditions of monomer was determined according to scanning rate, potential range and acid density. The obtained modified electrode system (PGE/PDiAzBiPhBiTyOx) was doped with chloroplatinic acid hexahydrat-Pt2Cl6.6H2O (Pt) at different densities and the optimum catalyst density was determined as 3.25mM (PGE/3.25mMPt@PDiAzBiPhBiTyOx). The methanol oxidation performances of conductive polymer film, platinum and conductive polymer supported platinum catalyst systems were investigated separately. While the methanol oxidation responses of the conductive polymer film and platinum are almost similar, the methanol oxidation response of the platinum doped conductive polymer film catalyst system is higher. The modified electrode characterization was performed by CV, CHR and EIS methods. Furtheremore obtained modified electrode systems were characterized by FESEM/EDS, XRD to confirm the structures and morphologies. Also, the theoretical values such as electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and specific capacitance (Cs) were calculated in aqueous acidic solution with and without methanol. Cs values of the PGE/3.25mMPt@PDiAzBiPhBiTyOx electrode in aqueous acidic solution with and without methanol were 3.861 and 3x10-4Fg-1 respectively. Also, the electrochemical surface area values of the same electrode in aqueous acidic solution with and without methanol were 196.437 and 21.150m2g-1 respectively.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for detecting Cd(II) in aquatic products based on CS/COFs/PEDOT: PSS modified acupuncture needle electrode

The use of low-cost working electrodes is of great importance for the development of sensor industrialization. Acupuncture needles electrode (ANE) was selected as working microelectrode, a sensor was designed based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) and chitosan (CS) modified covalent organic frameworks (COFs) (CS/COFs) for detection of cadmium (Cd(II)). First, a mixture of PEDOT and PSS was electrodeposited on the surface of the acupuncture needles to synthesize a PEDOT: PSS as conductive polymeric film to support the electron transfer capability and enhance the conductive efficiency of the sensor. Then, CS/COFs was self-assembled and attached to the PEDOT: PSS/ANE surface by π-π stacking intermolecular interaction forces and the viscosity of CS, thus increasing the specific surface area of the electrode. Differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) was used as the electrochemical method for detection of Cd(II). And the results indicated that the CS/COFs/PEDOT: PSS/ANE was linearly responsive in the range of 400 μg/L to 2400 μg/L, and the LOD was 13.8 ng/L for Cd(II). The constructed sensor also showed great selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. Additionally, the sensor demonstrated outstanding recovery in the detection of Cd(II) in real sample scallops. This sensing construction method based on acupuncture needles as working electrodes is of great significance to the development of sensor industrialization and aquatic product safety detection.

Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Derivatives with Conducting Polymers and Their Applications in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Supercapacitors.

Recent progress concerning the development of counter electrode material (CE) from the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and the electrode material (EM) within supercapacitors is reviewed. From composites based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and conducting polymers (CPs) to their biggest competitor, namely composites based on graphene or graphene derivate (GD) and CPs, there are many methods of synthesis that influence the morphology and the functionalization inside the composite, making them valuable candidates for EM both inside DSSCs and in supercapacitors devices. From the combination of CPs with carbon-based materials, such as CNT and graphene or GD, the perfect network is created, and so the charge transfer takes place faster and more easily. Inside composites, between the functional groups of the components, different functionalizations are formed, namely covalent or non-covalent, which further provide the so-called synergic effect. Inside CPs/CNTs, CNTs could play the role of template but could also be wrapped in a CP film due to π-π coupling enhancing the composite conductivity. Active in regenerating the redox couple I-/I3-, the weakly bound electrons play a key role inside CPs/GD composites.

Synthesis, electropolymerization, and optoelectronic properties of carbazole containing imidazolium based ionic liquid

Herein, we report a prominent initial step toward the rational design of a carbazole-based ionic liquid. Firstly, the novel ionic liquid-based monomer of 1,3-bis[6-(9 H-carbazol-9-yl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium bromide] (coded as M4) salt has been synthesized 9{[6-(1 H-imidazol-1-yl) hexyl]-9 H-carbazole} which was prepared by the addition reaction of imidazole and N-(6-bromohexyl)carbazole, proceeded by connecting N-(6-bromohexyl) carbazole as precursor compound. The structural properties of the M4 have been determined by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR, and MS spectral data. The corresponding polymer film (P4) has been synthesized electrochemically on the ITO electrode. The redox behaviors of the resulting polymer have been investigated in detail via cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry techniques. The conducting polymer film has exhibited a multi-electrochromic behavior with color changes from transparent, to greenish-yellow and then to blue-green. Moreover, the polymer film has exhibited satisfactory optical contrast, high coloration efficiency, and fast switching time, which made them potential candidates in high-tech applications.

Heterogeneous Oriented Structure model of thermoelectric transport in conducting polymers

Understanding transport phenomena in conducting polymers (CP) is a main issue in order to optimize their performance and despite intense investigations, the influence of their microstructure remains controversial. By analyzing the thermoelectric measurements performed on highly oriented and non-oriented CP films, we show that an Heterogeneous Oriented Structure (HOSt) model considering both ordered and disordered domains is able to account for the thermoelectric transport in CP. This model unveils the key role of the crystallinity, the anisotropy and the alignment degree of these domains. It points out the importance of the thermal conductivity in the interpretation of the thermopower α\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\alpha $$\\end{document} and explains the frequently observed electrical conductivity σ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\sigma $$\\end{document} cut-off in the α-σ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\alpha -\\sigma $$\\end{document} curves due to the disordered domains. By varying the alignment degree depending on the orientation and the anisotropy according to the face-on or the edge-on polymers conformation, the HOSt model successfully describes the overall measured thermoelectric properties by demonstrating its applicability to a wide variety of both oriented and non-oriented CP.

Durable multicolor electrochromic fibers based on metal oxidecoated steel tapes

Electrochromic devices (ECDs) have the ability to selectively change color under the influence of electric current or potential and can keep the selected color after disconnection. They are used as smart windows, e-ink displays and even as flexible tapes. Most multicolor ECDs incorporate traditional “sandwich” architecture, which requires at least one electrode to be made of a transparent conductive polymer or thin film ceramics, and can be quite fragile and sensitive. In this paper, a flexible and durable multicolor ECD tape is reported, which uses advanced architecture, steel foil electrodes, and multiple coloration systems, for example intercalation used in tungsten and vanadium oxide based electrochromic systems, as well as a redox dye, for example methyl orange. The presented ECD tapes can utilize different metal oxides and color mechanisms with coloration efficiency around 10 cm2 C−1 for V2O5 and WO3 in both visible and IR range, and more than 30 cm2 C−1 for ZnO with added methyl orange dye. Due to the use of stainless-steel foil as a substrate, the assembled ECD tape has excellent durability properties, withstanding more than 39 MPa of pressure, and could therefore be used even in the most adverse conditions, for applications such as adaptive camouflage, color changing clothes, or other applications

Transduction of Amine-Phosphate Supramolecular Interactions and Biosensing of Acetylcholine through PEDOT-Polyamine Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are important devices for the development of flexible and wearable sensors due to their flexibility, low power consumption, sensitivity, selectivity, ease of fabrication, and compatibility with other flexible materials. These features enable the creation of comfortable, versatile, and efficient portable devices that can monitor and detect a wide range of parameters for various applications. Herein, we present OECTs based on PEDOT-polyamine thin films for the selective monitoring of phosphate-containing compounds. Our findings reveal that supramolecular single phosphate-amino interaction induces higher changes in the OECT response compared to ATP-amino interactions, even at submillimolar concentrations. The steric character of binding anions plays a crucial role in OECT sensing, resulting in a smaller shift in maximum transconductance voltage and threshold voltage for bulkier binding species. The OECT response reflects not only the polymer/solution interface but also events within the conducting polymer film, where ion transport and concentration are affected by the ion size. Additionally, the investigation of enzyme immobilization reveals the influence of phosphate species on the assembly behavior of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) on PEDOT-PAH OECTs, with increasing phosphate concentrations leading to reduced enzyme anchoring. These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of OECT sensing and highlight the importance of careful design and optimization of the biosensor interface construction for diverse sensing applications.

A comparison of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymerized potentiostatically and galvanostatically

Conducting polymer films, such as polypyrrole (PPy), have been extensively studied as linear actuators. Poly (3,4-ethylendioxythiophene) (PEDOT) received less attention as linear actuators, even though they show much better stability and conductivity than PPy films. In this work, we investigate the actuation of PEDOT films of comparable thicknesses electropolymerized either, potentiostatically (PEDOT (pot)) and galvanostatically (PEDOT (galv)) in the same organic electrolyte. Characterization by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry revealed that the actuation direction of these films is opposite to each other: in PEDOT (pot) films show cation-driven actuation, while for PEDOT (galv) films present anion-driven actuation. The measured strain of PEDOT (pot) was found to be 1.4 times larger than that of PEDOT (galv), involving 1.5 times higher charge density and having 2.3 times higher electronic conductivity. The specific capacitance, measured by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry, showed that PEDOT (pot) has double energy storage capabilities to that of PEDOT (galv), keeping up to 86.7% of the storage capacity after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Further characterization of the PEDOT samples was performed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy.

Conducting Polymer Films on Zn Deposited Carbon Electrode

Zn plating on carbon steel (CS) was achieved applying current of 4 mA with galvanostatic technique in acidic medium. Zn particles had homogenous, smooth with spherical structure. It was shown that the Zn particles exhibited active behavior on CS substrate. Poly(aniline), poly(pyrrole), poly(N-methylpyrrole) and poly(o-anisidine) homopolymer films were obtained on CS/Zn electrode. Evaluation of anticorrosion performance of these homopolymer coatings in 3.5 % NaCl solution was investigated by using AC impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique, anodic polarization and the Eocp-time curves. Homopolymer films exhibited significant physical barrier behavior on Zn plated carbon steel, in longer exposure time.

Sensing a SARS-CoV-2 spike peptide using a titanium carbide-doped imprinted polymer-coated extended-gate field effect transistor

The COVID-19 pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has over 750 million confirmed cases globally and more than six million deaths. Several variants have been named and identified as variants of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO); these include the Delta and Omicron variants. This work demonstrates the integration of epitope-imprinted conductive polymers with extended gate field effect transistors for the sensitive detection of the covid spike protein. Peptides from the receptor-binding domain on the spike protein were synthesized and imprinted onto poly(aniline-co-3-aminobenzenesulfonic acid), poly(AN-co-MSAN), by electropolymerization. Doping the conductive polymer film with titanium carbide (Ti2C) strengthened the electrochemical response approximately 1.5-fold. The FET platform not only amplified the electrochemical response about two-fold (compared with electrode-based sensing), but also lowered the sensing range for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit S1 (ncovS1) from 1.0 to 0.01 fg/mL.

Semiconductor‐to‐Metal‐like Transition Behavior under Temperature Variation for Inkjet Printed PEDOT:PSS Tracks Embedded in Polymer

Herein, it is intended to show the effect of embedding an inkjet printed poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) track in an insulator polymer, impacting its electronic transition behavior, as a consequence of temperature variation. A transition from semiconductor‐to‐metal‐like behavior is observed, when the temperature is seen to exceed a certain value, which is of a nonchemical origin. Both the presented experimental and simulation results show how this transition really occurs. The proposed physical mechanism for explaining such a behavior is verified with good repeatability. The main conclusion indicates consideration of special precautions, while enclosing inkjet‐printed PEDOT:PSS‐based tracks or sensors operating under ambient conditions, along with fluctuations. This conclusion can potentially be applied to any other inkjet printed conductive organic polymer film embedded in an insulator that fulfills the conditions encountered in the experiments. The impact of this effect may be reduced and mitigated by using inkjet printing, in combination with other additive manufacturing technique. The results presented here are considered very important, as they lay the foundation for the correct compensation of the thermal drift of organic electronics‐based circuits.

Ultrafast Laser‐Induced Excellent Thermoelectric Performance of PEDOT:PSS Films

Because poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is water processable, thermally stable, and highly conductive, PEDOT:PSS and its composites have been considered to be one of the most promising flexible thermoelectric materials. However, the PEDOT:PSS film prepared from its commercial aqueous dispersion usually has very low conductivity, thus cannot be directly utilized for TE applications. Here, a simple environmental friendly strategy via femtosecond laser irradiation without any chemical dopants and treatments was demonstrated. Under optimal conditions, the electrical conductivity of the treated film is increased to 803.1 S cm−1 from 1.2 S cm−1 around three order of magnitude higher, and the power factor is improved to 19.0 μW m−1 K−2, which is enhanced more than 200 times. The mechanism for such remarkable enhancement was attributed to the transition of the PEDOT chains from a coil to a linear or expanded coil conformation, reduction of the interplanar stacking distance, and the removal of insulating PSS with increasing the oxidation level of PEDOT, facilitating the charge transportation. This work presents an effective route for fabricating high‐performance flexible conductive polymer films and wearable thermoelectric devices.

Electrochemical and Solvent-Driven Swelling in a Conducting Polymer Film

Poly(ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is likely the most widely used conducting polymer and a champion material for emerging electrochemical technologies. However, the fundamental polymer science describing this material in an electrochemical context remains an active area of investigation. We employ in situ UV–vis absorption and in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry to measure changes to a cross-linked PEDOT:PSS film under an applied electrochemical potential. Using multiple component regression data analyses, we find that two polaronic charge carriers and two neutral forms of PEDOT are necessary to adequately describe the data. Systematic studies of swelling of PEDOT:PSS films in a range of non-aqueous solvents demonstrate that a traditional Flory–Huggins model is suitable to describe film thickness changes. Electrochemical oxidation and reduction also cause dramatic thickness changes to PEDOT:PSS films. In-operando spectroscopic ellipsometry shows that film thickness increases upon reduction and decreases during oxidation, indicating that cation transport is of primary importance in the electrochemistry of PEDOT:PSS. The changes in film thickness in response to electrochemically driven swelling can also be approached using a Flory–Huggins approach when a voltage dependence is included in the enthalpy of mixing.

Thermal Conductivity of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Films with a Multi-Scale Framework.

The orientation of amorphous regions in pure polymers has been noted to be critical to the enhancement of thermal conductivity (TC), but the available reports are still rather few. Here, we propose to prepare a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film with a multi-scale framework by introducing anisotropic amorphous nanophases in the form of cross-planar alignments among the in-planar oriented extended-chain crystals (ECCs) lamellae, which show an enhanced TC of 1.99 Wm-1 K-1 in the through-plane direction (K⟂) and 4.35 Wm-1 K-1 in the in-plane direction (K∥). Structural characterization determination using scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution synchrotron X-ray scattering showed that shrinking the dimension of the amorphous nanophases can effectively reduce entanglement and lead to alignments formation. Moreover, the thermal anisotropy of the amorphous region is quantitatively discussed with the aid of the two-phase model. Superior thermal dissipation performances are intuitively displayed by means of finite element numerical analysis and heat exchanger applications. Moreover, such unique multi-scale architecture also results in significant benefit in the improvement of dimensional stability and thermal stability. This paper provides a reasonable solution for fabricating inexpensive thermal conducting polymer films from the perspective of practical applications.

High intrinsic thermal conductive polymer films by engineered interchain hydrogen bond interactions

AbstractA series of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films containing different hydrogen bond acceptors 4,4′‐dihydroxydiphenyl (BP), 1,1′‐biphenyl‐4,4′‐diyl dihexanoate (DHB) and benzene‐1,3,5‐triyl tribenzoate (TBB) were prepared by casting method. Due to the existence of strong intermolecular interaction, the highest in‐plane thermal conductivity of the above films is 1.298 Wm−1 K−1, which is about 65% higher than pure PVA films. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WXAD) demonstrated that the TBB acts as a thermal bridge to enhance the internal interaction force and make the internal structure more regular. Strong molecular contact forces were demonstrated by mechanical tensile testing. The thermal expansion rate of the system was explored through molecular dynamics. Thermal expansion experiments proved that hydrogen bond can effectively reduce the free volume. Molecular dynamics simulations were also performed in this work. The number and density of hydrogen bonds inside different polymers were calculated, and the phonon thermal transport was quantitatively analyzed. The thermal bridge and intermolecular contact force were discovered to effectively restrict the molecular chain's activity and reduce its free volume. The results of the experiments and molecular dynamics reveal that strong intermolecular interactions and thermal bridges can significantly improve polymer intrinsic thermal conductivity.

Electrochemical and optical properties of 3',4'-bis(alkyloxy)-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene bearing multifunctional polymers: Effect of alkyl chain length on electrochromic properties

Herein, three multifunctional 3',4'-bis(alkyloxy)-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene comprising monomers with different alkyl chains were electrochemically polymerized on an ITO electrode to obtain the polymers; poly(3',4'-dibutoxy-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) (P1), poly(3',4'-bis(hexyloxy)-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) (P2), and poly(3',4'-bis(octyloxy)-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) (P3). Cyclic voltammetry and in situ spectroelectrochemical studies were performed for the polymers to investigate their oxidation potentials, HOMO/LUMO energy levels, band gaps (Egop), optical contrasts (T%), and switching times. All polymers had an optical band gap at around 1.8 and 1.9 eV and revealed different tones of red color in their neutral states and different tones of blue color in their oxidized states with similar electrochromic features. This means that the alteration of the alkyl chain lengths did not affect the band gap and the colors of the resulting polymers significantly. When P1, P2, and P3 were compared in terms of electrochromic contrast and switching studies, P1 had superior optical contrast and switching time values. P1 exhibited 51% optical contrast at 520 nm which is a rare and desired property for -conjugated conducting polymers in the visible region. P1, P2 and P3 conducting polymer films, which were also used for energy storage applications before, revealed promising electrochromic characters in this study, so these poly(3',4'-bis(alkyloxy)-2,2':5',2"-terthiophene) derivatives can be called as multifunctional next-generation materials.

Characterization and Application of a Synthesized Novel Poly(chlorobis(1,10-phenanthroline)resorcinolcobalt(II) chloride)-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Selective Voltammetric Determination of Cefadroxil in Pharmaceutical Formulations, Human Urine, and Blood Serum Samples.

Cefadroxil belongs to the β-lactam antibiotics, mainly used for the treatment of various bacterial infections, caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, it is also encountering serious bacterial resistance, necessitating continuous monitoring of its level in pharmaceutical and biological samples. This study presents a selective, accurate, and precise square-wave voltammetric method based on a novel poly(chlorobis(1,10-phenanthroline)resorcinolcobalt(II)chloride)-modified glassy carbon electrode (poly(CP2RCoC)/GCE) for determination of cefadroxil (CDL). UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, metal and halide estimation, CHN elemental analysis, and electrolytic conductivity measurement results confirmed the synthesis of the title complex modifier. Electrode characterization results revealed modification of the surface of the electrode by an electroactive and a conductive polymer film (poly(CP2RCoC)/GCE), leading to an improved effective electrode surface area. In contrast to the bare electrode, the appearance of an irreversible oxidative peak at a much reduced potential with a 7-fold current enhancement at poly(CP2RCoC)/GCE showed the catalytic effect of the modifier toward oxidation of CDL. The square-wave voltammetric current response of poly(CP2RCoC)/GCE showed a linear dependence on the concentration of CDL in the range of 1 × 10-7-3.0 × 10-4 M with a detection limit of 4.3 × 10-9. The CDL level in the selected two tablet brands was in the range of 97.25-100.00% of their labeled values. The spike recovery results in tablet, human blood serum, and urine samples were 98.85-101.30, 99.20-100.39, and 98.10-99.99%, respectively. Interference recovery results with a less than 4.74% error, lower LoD, and wider dynamic range than the previously reported methods validated the potential applicability of the present method with excellent accuracy and sensitivity based on the novel mixed-ligand complex-modified GCE (poly(CP2RCoC)/GCE) for determination of CDL in various real samples with a complex matrix.

Micro/Nano-Fabrication of Flexible Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene)-Based Conductive Films for High-Performance Microdevices.

With the increasing demands for novel flexible organic electronic devices, conductive polymers are now becoming the rising star for reaching such targets, which has witnessed significant breakthroughs in the fields of thermoelectric devices, solar cells, sensors, and hydrogels during the past decade due to their outstanding conductivity, solution-processing ability, as well as tailorability. However, the commercialization of those devices still lags markedly behind the corresponding research advances, arising from the not high enough performance and limited manufacturing techniques. The conductivity and micro/nano-structure of conductive polymer films are two critical factors for achieving high-performance microdevices. In this review, the state-of-the-art technologies for developing organic devices by using conductive polymers are comprehensively summarized, which will begin with a description of the commonly used synthesis methods and mechanisms for conductive polymers. Next, the current techniques for the fabrication of conductive polymer films will be proffered and discussed. Subsequently, approaches for tailoring the nanostructures and microstructures of conductive polymer films are summarized and discussed. Then, the applications of micro/nano-fabricated conductive films-based devices in various fields are given and the role of the micro/nano-structures on the device performances is highlighted. Finally, the perspectives on future directions in this exciting field are presented.

Self‐supporting flexible poly(1‐naphaneneboronic acid) film as green light‐emitting material

AbstractThe flexible conducting polymer films (FCPs) with fused ring structure is of great significance in the field of flexible electronics, yet their preparation is challenging. The mechanical properties can be improved by introducing boric acid groups to FCPs. Herein, free‐standing poly (1‐naphaneneboronic acid) (PNBA) film with a conductivity of 3 × 10−4 S cm−1 is readily prepared by electrochemical polymerization of 1‐naphaneneboronic acid. The PNBA film exhibits good redox activity and electrochemical stability. Fourier transform infrared spectrum proves that polymerization site of the as‐prepared PNBA occurs at C5 and C8 positions. The UV–Vis spectrum proves that the optical band gap of PNBA is 2.76 eV. In addition, thermal analysis reveals that the polymer displays excellent thermal stability. Fluorescence spectroscopy results show that PNBA film is a good green light‐emitting material. These characteristics indicate that free‐standing flexible PNBA film has potential applications in flexible electronic semiconductors, fluorescent materials and electrochemical sensors.