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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Processing, fabrication, applications, and limitations of inherently conducting polymers

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5852886

Electrically conducting polymers have many potential applications and thus are a focus of research interest. Such polymers depend on a conjugated backbone that can be doped with highly reactive materials to increase conductivity, but this backbone is also the source of instability in these materials. The work described in this report concentrates on solving these instability problems, using various doping techniques to yield polymers more stable than polyacetylene, (CH)/sub x/, the first extensively characterized covalent organic polymer. We describe several methods of synthesizing conjugated polymers and discuss ways of doping the conjugated backbone. The stability of pristine and doped polymers is examined in ambient atmosphere and under thermal treatment, and several stabilization techniques are discussed, including chemical doping, ion implantation, plastification, copolymerization, antioxidative treatments, surface protection, and the use of crown ethers. Although progress has been made, a fully stable, highly conductive polymer still awaits development. Various possible uses of such a polymer and the conditions for successful applications are described, as are the relative advantages and disadvantages of currently available polymers. 144 refs., 76 figs., 12 tabs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
5852886
Report Number(s):
LA-10686-MS; ON: DE88003210
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English