Conducting Polymers in the Fields of Energy, Environmental Remediation, and Chemical–Chiral Sensors

Abstract

Conducting polymers (CPs), thanks to their unique properties, structures made on-demand, new composite mixtures, and possibility of deposit on a surface by chemical, physical, or electrochemical methodologies, have shown in the last years a renaissance and have been widely used in important fields of chemistry and materials science. Due to the extent of the literature on CPs, this review, after a concise introduction about the interrelationship between electrochemistry and conducting polymers, is focused exclusively on the following applications: energy (energy storage devices and solar cells), use in environmental remediation (anion and cation trapping, electrocatalytic reduction/oxidation of pollutants on CP based electrodes, and adsorption of pollutants) and finally electroanalysis as chemical sensors in solution, gas phase, and chiral molecules. This review is expected to be comprehensive, authoritative, and useful to the chemical community interested in CPs and their applications.

Analysis of Conjugated Polymers Conductivity by in situ Electrochemical‐Conductance Method

“…The results looks more in agreement with the mixed‐valence model which supports that the charge transport in π‐conjugated systems takes place via electron hopping between oligomer chains . For other models of conductivity for conducting polymers a recent review can be consulted . This technique could give information about structural changes provoked by the redox process in the film, such as solid‐state reactions, that does not affect the voltammetric response but causes a loss of conductance .…”

“…Conducting polymers have become in one of the most interesting materials in recent years, due to all their possible applications . Cyclic voltammetry is used as a tool for the characterization of conducting polymers and it is one of the most common experiments in this field.…”

“…UV‐vis‐NIR or electron spin resonance) gives real‐time information about characteristic phenomena such as mass and charge transport during the charge/discharge process . Nevertheless, properties of conducting polymers strongly relies on the charge carrier mobility inside the polymeric structure and depends on the monomer chemical structure, oligomer spatial conformation, film morphology and redox state of the film . Therefore, the main property for understanding charge‐carrier mobility of these materials is the electrical conductivity.…”

“…This doping involves the formation of charged species such as radical cations ( p ‐doping) or anions ( n ‐doping) inside the polymeric backbone with the insertion of their respective counterions. Thus, mobility of these charged species provokes the conductivity of these materials . The formation of such species is potential‐dependent (Figure ) and increases to a highest doping level, which involves a maximum in conductivity ( E 3 – E 5 in Figure ) .…”

Sensitive Determination of Nicotine on PolyNiTSPc Electrodeposited Glassy Carbon Electrode: Investigation of Reaction Mechanism

“…Conducting polymers, born in 1977 with the work of MacDiarmid [11], have received vast attention in various fields such as biomedical applications [12], bioelectronics [13], energy storage [14] and anti-corrosion [15]. This interest is due to their tunable electrical conductivity that can be achieved through, facile polymerization, doping and their soft organic material properties [16].…”