Conductive Electroactive Polymers: Intelligent Materials Systems

One of the most promising areas of polymer R&D today is that of electroconductive polymers. The potential for use of these materials in intelligent materials and devices offers exciting commercial opportunities. This new volume provides an introduction to this field, in-depth examinations of several of the most promising polymer groups, and discusses ways in which they can be integrated into structures. From The Authors' Preface As we enter the era of intelligent materials and embark upon a new approach to material design, synthesis and system integration, certain groups of materials will emerge as champions. The desire to have in-built sensing, processing and actuating functions will require the identification of dynamic materials with chemical and physical properties that are readily manipulated. The ability to create these materials in different forms to enable integration into other structures will also be important. Even the most cursory glance at the components used by nature in the development of intelligent material systems and structures reveals that polymers are extremely powerful in this regard. . . . Rapid advances in synthetic polymer science have now placed us in a position to utilize the powerful properties of this versatile class of materials. Our ability to design and assemble polymers from the molecular level, coupled with a better understanding of structure-property relationships enables the design of sophisticated structures. Certain classes of polymers will play different roles in the creation of intelligent materials. Some will be inert and structural, while others will be more dynamic and functional. . . . In this book the unique features of conducting electroactive polymers (CEPs) are introduced. The parameters affecting the formation of important conducting polymers, such as polypyrroles and polyanilines, are discussed. How these parameters can be used to manipulate the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of these polymers is then revealed. We attempt to clarify the chemical and energy parameters that determine the structure and hence the chemical, electrical and mechanical properties of these fascinating structures. Some examples are presented, wherein the ability to manipulate the structure and properties of conducting polymers is used to produce materials with useful sensing, processing and actuating properties.

Table of Contents:
Each chapter ends with a section of references. Preface - Acknowledgements Introduction What Are Intelligent Material Systems and Structures? The Basis of the Revolution Spin-Offs--Other Applications for Conducting Electroactive Polymer Systems Polyanilines and Polythiophenes Polyanilines Electrochemical Polymerization Chemical Polymerization Electrical Properties Mechanical Properties of Polyaniline Thiophenes Conclusions Integrated Structures Integration after Polymerization Assembly of Conducting Polymers in Host Matrices Emulsions 18 tables, 38 figures, 23 schematics