Conductive Polymer Research Articles

Polyimide Enables Carbon-Based Conductive Polymer Composites with High Working Temperature for Deicing Application

Polyimide Enables Carbon-Based Conductive Polymer Composites with High Working Temperature for Deicing Application

A “2-in-1” Bioanalytical System Based on Nanocomposite Conductive Polymers for Early Detection of Surface Water Pollution

A “2-in-1” Bioanalytical System Based on Nanocomposite Conductive Polymers for Early Detection of Surface Water Pollution

Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistor Based on Conjugated Conducting Polymers

In this work, we have fabricated a side-gated organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) where the source, drain, and gate terminals are screen-printed on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate through a scalable screen-printing process. The semiconducting channel material is made of polyethylene dioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), applied via spray coating. The OECT operates by volumetric gating of the channel through a gel electrolyte containing poly sodium 4-styrene sulfonate, transitioning highly conductive PEDOT+ to PEDOT0 through de-doping, biased by a positive gate voltage. Additionally, the OECT displayed a transconductance (gm) of 62.5 µA/V, mobility (µ) of 6.6×106 cm2 / Vs, and a threshold voltage (Vth) of -0.39 V, with the ON/OFF ratio being relatively low at 33.2. The repeatability was confirmed through the fabrication of three devices that exhibited nearly identical behavior. Future work emphasizes functionalizing the electrolyte to detect biomolecules such as glucose, pH, and ion species.

Modulation of polyaniline memristive device switching voltage by nucleotide-free analogue of vitamin B12.

Memristive devices offer essential properties to become a part of the next-generation computing systems based on neuromorphic principles. Organic memristive devices exhibit a unique set of properties which makes them an indispensable choice for specific applications, such as interfacing with biological systems. While the switching rate of organic devices can be easily adjusted over a wide range through various methods, controlling the switching potential is often more challenging, as this parameter is intricately tied to the materials used. Given the limited options in the selection conductive polymers and the complexity of polymer chemical engineering, the most straightforward and accessible approach to modulate switching potentials is by introducing specific molecules into the electrolyte solution. In our study, we show polyaniline-based device switching potential control by adding nucleotide-free analogue of vitamin B12, aquacyanocobinamide, to the electrolyte solution. The employed concentrations of this molecule, ranging from 0.2 to 2 mM, enabled organic memristive devices to achieve switching potential decrease for up to 100 mV, thus providing a way to control device properties. This effect is attributed to strong aromatic interactions between polyaniline phenyl groups and corrin macrocycle of the aquacyanocobinamide molecule, which was supported by ultraviolet-visible spectra analysis.

Conductive polypyrrole: synthesis, characterization, thermal, and electrical properties for different applications

Pyrrole monomer (mPPy) in an aqueous solution was used to create the conductive polymer polypyrrole (a homo-PPy) using a chemical oxidative polymerization process over a period of several hours at room temperature. Ferric chloride (FeCl3) oxidant was used, and sodium dodecyl sulphate (C12H25NaO4S), a surfactant. The produced PPy samples were characterized using a variety of methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Differential Thermal analysis (DTA), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images revealed that nanoparticles of a homo-PPy with radii of 60–90 nm were well evenly distributed in the structure. The thermal stability and electrical conductivity of homo-PPy nanoparticles were observed to rise with a solvent ethylene glycol. As temperature rises, the conductivity of homo-PPy samples is significantly raised, and electrical conductivities ranging from.0.44 to 2.2 (Ω.m)−1. Results from FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the structural formation of a homo-polypyrrole during synthesis from pyrrole monomer. Because of their improved electrical conductivity and thermal stability, homo-PPy nanoparticles have potential applications in energy storage, adsorption and contamination elimination, electromagnetic protection, and resistance to corrosion.

Biomass Waste Utilization as Nanocomposite Anodes through Conductive Polymers Strengthened SiO2/C from Streblus asper Leaves for Sustainable Energy Storages

Biomass Waste Utilization as Nanocomposite Anodes through Conductive Polymers Strengthened SiO2/C from Streblus asper Leaves for Sustainable Energy Storages

Fabrication of Polypyrrole Hollow Nanospheres by Hard-Template Method for Supercapacitor Electrode Material

Conducting polymers like polypyrrole, polyaniline, and polythiophene with nanostructures offers several advantages, such as high conductivity, a conjugated structure, and a large surface area, making them highly desirable for energy storage applications. However, the direct synthesis of conducting polymers with nanostructures poses a challenge. In this study, we employed a hard template method to fabricate polystyrene@polypyrrole (PS@PPy) core–shell nanoparticles. It is important to note that PS itself is a nonconductive material that hinders electron and ion transport, compromising the desired electrochemical properties. To overcome this limitation, the PS cores were removed using organic solvents to create hollow PPy nanospheres. We investigated six different organic solvents (cyclohexane, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, acetone, and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)) for etching the PS cores. The resulting hollow PPy nanospheres showed various nanostructures, including intact, hollow, buckling, and collapsed structures, depending on the thickness of the PPy shell and the organic solvent used. PPy nanospheres synthesized with DMF demonstrated superior electrochemical properties compared to those prepared with other solvents, attributed to their highly effective PS removal efficiency, increased specific surface area, and improved charge transport efficiency. The specific capacitances of PPy nanospheres treated with DMF were as high as 350 F/g at 1 A/g. And the corresponding symmetric supercapacitor demonstrated a maximum energy density of 40 Wh/kg at a power density of 490 W/kg. These findings provide new insights into the synthesis method and energy storage mechanisms of PPy nanoparticles.

Thickness Variation of Conductive Polymer Coatings on Si Anodes for the Improved Cycling Stability in Full Pouch Cells.

Si-dominant anodes for Li-ion batteries provide very high gravimetric and volumetric capacity but suffer from low cycling stability due to an unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). In this work, we improved the cycling performance of Si/NCM pouch cells by coating the Si anodes with the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) prior to cell assembly via an electropolymerization process. The thicknesses of the PEDOT coatings could be adjusted by a facile process parameter variation. Glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy was used to determine the coating thicknesses on the electrodes prior to the cell assembly. During electrochemical testing, improvements were observed closely linked to the PEDOT coating thickness. Specifically, thinner PEDOT coatings exhibited a higher capacity retention and lower internal resistance in the corresponding pouch cells. For the thinnest coatings, the cell lifetime was 18% higher compared to that of uncoated Si anodes. Postmortem analyses via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy revealed a better-maintained microstructure and a chemically different SEI for the PEDOT-coated anodes.

Toward coupling across inorganic/organic hybrid interfaces: polyaniline-coated gold nanoparticles with 4-aminothiophenol as gold-anchoring moieties

AbstractThe chemical binding between metal nanoparticles and (semi-)conductive polymer layers is essential to control the (opto-)electronic properties of such hybrid materials. Current approaches that achieve a conjugated binding of organic (semi-)conductive ligands to metal nanoparticles demonstrated promising functional properties, but are based on tedious multi-step organic synthesis to incorporate the required binding moieties at the chain ends of targeted macromolecular species. Herein, we explore the pre-functionalization of gold nanoparticles with p-aminothiophenol and subsequent surfactant-assisted formation of a poly(aniline) (PANI) shell as a means to access gold/PANI core–shell-type nanoparticles with enhanced conductive properties. Controlled surface deposition of these hybrid nanoparticles is achieved via template-assisted self-assembly. For these surface-deposited nanoparticles, charge transport properties are characterized at the nanoscale by conductive atomic force microscopy measurements and show a significant conductivity increase of our core–shell particles as compared to reference particles formed by conventional surfactant-assisted PANI-shell formation. Graphical Abstract

A new sensitive layer based on clcinated Zn/Ti-MOF/magnetic molecularly imprinted polypyrrole: Application to preconcentration and electrochemical determination of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid by magnetic carbon paste electrode

In this research, a new approach based on magnetic electrodes has been developed for the determination of per-fluorooctane sulfonic acid (PSOF). Zinc and Titanium-based Metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and used with polypyrrole as a conductive polymer for preparation of the absorbent to achieve the best performance for electrochemical application. The response of the electrode for determination of the PFOS was affected and optimized by different factors such as buffer solution, pH of the solution, amount of absorbent, extraction time of absorbent, accumulation time, as well as the Square Wave Voltammetry (SWV) instrumental parameters including voltage step, pulse amplitude, frequency and resting time. In the optimum condition, the response of the Zn/Ti/C-MOF-magnetic molecular imprinting polymer/carbon paste electrode (MOFMMIP/CPE) has increased logarithmically by increasing the concentration in the range of 0.002–165 μM by the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 nM. The obtained percentage of Recovery (96.00–104.14 %), Bias (–4.00 - 4.14 %) and Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) (1.89–3.74 %) for determination of the PFOS in real and spiked tap water, river water and well water samples demonstrates that the proposed method has an acceptable precision. The comparison between the gained data by the presented method and High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the presented method has high accuracy.

Enhancing the Conductivity and Thermoelectric Performance of Semicrystalline Conducting Polymers through Controlled Tie Chain Incorporation.

Conjugated polymers are promising materials for thermoelectric applications, however, at present few effective and well-understood strategies exist to further advance their thermoelectric performance. Here a new model system is reported for a better understanding of the key factors governing their thermoelectric properties: aligned, ribbon-phase poly[2,5-bis(3-dodecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] (PBTTT) doped by ion-exchange doping. Using a range of microstructural and spectroscopic methods, the effect of controlled incorporation of tie-chains between the crystalline domains is studied through blending of high and low molecular weight chains. The tie chains provide efficient transport pathways between crystalline domains and lead to significantly enhanced electrical conductivity of 4810 S cm-1, which is not accompanied by a reduction in Seebeck coefficient or a large increase in thermal conductivity. Respectable power factors of 173 µW m-1 K-2 are demonstrated in this model system. The approach is generally applicable to a wide range of semicrystalline conjugated polymers and could provide an effective pathway for further enhancing their thermoelectric properties and overcome traditional trade-offs in optimization of thermoelectric performance.

Star-shaped PEDOT:PSS conductive polymers with reduced graphene oxide for high performance supercapacitor

Star-shaped PEDOT:PSS conductive polymers with reduced graphene oxide for high performance supercapacitor

Enhanced Performance of Complementary Electrochromic Device with Hierarchical‐Porous NiO x Decorated ITO Glasses as the Transparent Conductive Electrodes

To pursuit advancing electrochromic technology, the preparation of a novel hierarchical‐porous NiOx‐decorated ITO transparent conductive electrode was developed through the vapor‐assisted conversion and subsequent calcination processes. The modified transparent electrode exhibited advantages in the electrodeposition of conductive polymer films, which significantly enhanced electrochromic cycling stability. Moreover, the complementary electrochromic device based on NiOx‐decorated ITO transparent electrode was fabricated, demonstrating rapid response time (1.75 s for coloration and 0.87 s for bleaching), high optical contrast (53.4%), and remarkable cycling stability (90% optical contrast retention over 2000 cycles). This finding holds prominent potential for applications in related fields.

Inkjet Printing with (Semi)conductive Conjugated Polymers: A Review

Functional inkjet printing is an emerging manufacturing technology for the production of various planar elements and electronic devices. This technology offers affordable freeform and highly customizable production of thin film micron-scale elements on various substrates. Functional inkjet printing employs various inks based on organic and inorganic materials with diverse functional properties, and among them, conjugated polymers are of particular interest due to their electrical, photophysical, and electrochemical properties. This paper provides an overview of inkjet printing with conjugated (semi)conductive polymers, including the fundamentals of the technology and its scope, limitations, and main challenges. Specific attention is drawn to the synthesis and chemistry of these polymers in connection with the patterning and functional properties of the inks composed thereof. Practical aspects of this technology are also highlighted, namely the manufacturing capabilities of the technology and particular applications for the fabrication of various electronic elements and devices.

A Review on the Recent Advances in Battery Development and Energy Storage Technologies

Energy storage is a more sustainable choice to meet net-zero carbon foot print and decarbonization of the environment in the pursuit of an energy independent future, green energy transition, and uptake. The journey to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased grid stability and reliability, and improved green energy access and security are the result of innovation in energy storage systems. Renewable energy sources are fundamentally intermittent, which means they rely on the availability of natural resources like the sun and wind rather than continuously producing energy. Due to its ability to address the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources, manage peak demand, enhance grid stability and reliability, and make it possible to integrate small-scale renewable energy systems into the grid, energy storage is essential for the continued development of renewable energy sources and the decentralization of energy generation. Accordingly, the development of an effective energy storage system has been prompted by the demand for unlimited supply of energy, primarily through harnessing of solar, chemical, and mechanical energy. Nonetheless, in order to achieve green energy transition and mitigate climate risks resulting from the use of fossil-based fuels, robust energy storage systems are necessary. Herein, the need for better, more effective energy storage devices such as batteries, supercapacitors, and bio-batteries is critically reviewed. Due to their low maintenance needs, supercapacitors are the devices of choice for energy storage in renewable energy producing facilities, most notably in harnessing wind energy. Moreover, supercapacitors possess robust charging and discharging cycles, high power density, low maintenance requirements, extended lifespan, and are environmentally friendly. On the other hand, combining aluminum with nonaqueous charge storage materials such as conductive polymers to make use of each material’s unique capabilities could be crucial for continued development of robust storage batteries. In general, energy density is a key component in battery development, and scientists are constantly developing new methods and technologies to make existing batteries more energy proficient and safe. This will make it possible to design energy storage devices that are more powerful and lighter for a range of applications. When there is an imbalance between supply and demand, energy storage systems (ESS) offer a way of increasing the effectiveness of electrical systems. They also play a central role in enhancing the reliability and excellence of electrical networks that can also be deployed in off-grid localities.

How Components of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Contribute to Efficient Solar Energy Capture

Herein, we reviewed the main components of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) which are an emerging cheap and environmentally benign alternative for solar energy capture and conversion to electricity. The role of individual parts such as the semiconductor electrode, counter electrode, photosensitizer, electrolyte, and substrate and their contribution to the overall efficiency (η) of DSSCs are discussed. In addition, parameters such as short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and fill factor used to quantify the efficiency of DSSCs are addressed. The highest solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 13 % has been achieved using titanium dioxide as a semiconductor electrode, a triiodide system as a redox couple, and platinum counter electrodes. Semiconductors are made up of materials such as glass, carbon, conductive polymers and other metal oxides have lower efficiencies (< 8 %). In addition, synthetic photosensitizers especially ruthenium complexes have higher efficiencies (10-11 %) compared to natural dyes among which the highest efficiency (4.6 %) was achieved using chlorophyll. The performance of natural dyes based on efficiency of the DSSC is generally in the order: chlorophyll > anthocyanins > carotenoids that is highly attributed to their structure which not only dictates electron release and recombination but also attachment to other components. The DSSC performance is not fixed but rather tunable by variations in the components to achieve desired structural and electronic properties such as firm anchorage between the photosensitizer and the semiconductors, the reduction of the energy band gap by incorporation of other metal salts to extend the absorption range and use of additives that prevent electron recombination with the photosensitizer or any hindrances in the electrolyte redox reactions.

Preparation and thermal conductivity of bimodal diamond particles reinforced phenolic resin composites

AbstractThermal conductive polymer composites have broad application prospects in the field of thermal management. However, due to intrinsically low thermal conductivity of polymers, even if fillers with high mass fraction are filled, the thermal conductivity of polymer composites cannot be significantly improved. In this paper, bimodal diamond particles (70 wt.% 150 μm and 22 wt.% 25 μm) were incorporated into phenolic resin to construct continuous heat transfer pathways by close packing, thereby enhancing its thermal conductivity. The results indicated that diamond particles with smaller particle size can effectively bridge the gaps between larger ones, forming a continuous for heat conduction. As a result, a maximum thermal conductivity value of 12.45 W/(m·K) can be achieved, which is 65.5 times, 9.8 times and 8.4 times higher than pure phenolic resin, 25 μm diamond particles reinforced phenolic resin composite and 150 μm diamond particles reinforced phenolic resin composite, respectively. Furthermore, heat dissipation and water cooling experiments also confirm the superior heat dissipation performance of phenolic resin composites reinforced with bimodal diamond particles. When the heating voltage is 10 V and the water cooling rate is 30 mL/min, the upper surface temperature of bimodal diamond composites is 129.2°C lower than that of pure phenolic resin. This investigation provides a new type of polymer composite with high thermal conductivity, which has promising prospects for application in thermal management. It also provides new insights for preparing polymer composites with high thermal conductivity by close packing of bimodal particles.Highlights Surface modification of the filler enhances its combination with resin. The interfacial bonding will be enhanced by D–OH bond on diamond surface. Bimodal diamond particles lead to the formation of a closely packed structure. This special structure can form a three‐dimensional heat conduction network. The highest TC of the DD/PR composite is 12.45 W/(m·K).

Voltage-modulated polymer nanopore field-effect transistor for multi-sized nanoparticle detection

Solid-state nanopores offer a range of distinct advantages over biological nanopores, such as structural diversity and greater stability and durability; this makes them highly promising for high-resolution nanoparticle sensing. Biological nanopores can exhibit gating characteristics with stress-responsive switches and can demonstrate specificity toward particular molecules. Drawing inspiration from biological nanopores, this paper introduces a novel polymer nanopore with field-effect characteristics, leveraging a conductive polymer in its construction to showcase intriguing gating behavior. Notably, in this device, the polymer layer serves as the gate, enabling precise control over the source–drain current response inside and outside the pore by simply adjusting the gate voltage. This unique feature allows fine-tuning of the nanopore’s sensitivity to nanoparticles of varying sizes and facilitates its operation in multiple modes. Experimental results reveal that the developed polymer nanopore field-effect transistor demonstrates remarkable selectivity in detecting nanoparticles of various sizes under different applied voltages. The proposed single device demonstrates the exceptional ability to detect multiple types of nanoparticle, showcasing its immense potential for a wide range of applications in biological-particle analysis and medical diagnostics.

Synergistic effects of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blends in gel electrolytes for efficient and long-term stability in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)

In this work, the stability issues associated with liquid electrolyte-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have been addressed by introducing polymer gel electrolytes. The synergistic combination of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) has been achieved through solution blending. Ionic conductivity measurements, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have been employed for analysis. Optimal cohesiveness was observed at PVP concentrations exceeding 40 %, with the best outcomes achieved at a 50 % PVDF-PVP weight ratio. The electrolyte solution, comprising the polymer blend, suitable solvents, and iodine-based salts, exhibits peak conductivity (2.33 mScm⁻1) at a 10 % salt content. DSSCs utilizing the PVDF & PVP polymer blend gel electrolytes demonstrate enhanced durability and maintained efficiency at 5.43 %, exhibiting only a modest 12 % reduction compared to liquid electrolyte counterparts. Over two weeks, the fabricated DSSCs exhibited consistent photovoltaic performance, while conventional cells experienced significant declines in short-circuit current (36 %) and open-circuit voltage (33.33 %). This study signifies a promising advancement in solar cell technology, showcasing improved stability and performance in DSSCs using conductive polymer blend gel electrolytes.

Electrocatalytic Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) for Electrochemical Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural.

This study investigates the utilization of the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as a catalytic material for the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). PEDOT films doped with different counterions were electrodeposited on graphite foil. In particular, the mobile anion perchlorate and the polymeric ionomers polystyrenesulfonate, Nafion, and Aquivion were used. The electrocatalytic properties of PEDOT films were evaluated toward the TEMPO redox mediator in the absence and the presence of HMF as a substrate for oxidation reactions. The electrocatalytic HMF oxidation was confirmed to occur at PEDOT electrodes, and it was also found that the chemical nature of PEDOT counterions controls the electrocatalytic conversion of HMF by modulating the kinetics of the electrochemical generation of the oxoammonium cation TEMPO(+). Potentiostatic electrolysis experiments showed that both the reference graphite electrode and PEDOT substrates were able to convert HMF to FDCA with an 80% faradaic efficiency (FE) and a >90% yield (FDCA), but, compared to graphite, the complete conversion of HMF to FDCA required a ca. 30% shorter time when using PEDOT electrodes doped with perchlorate or Aquivion, thanks to their ability to sustain a higher current density in the initial phase of the electrolysis. In addition, while all PEDOT films were chemically stable under the electrochemical conditions herein described, only PEDOT films doped with Aquivion were also mechanically robust and stable against delamination. Thus, the new PEDOT/Aquivion composite may represent the best choice for the implementation of PEDOT-based electrodes in TEMPO-mediated electrocatalytic applications.