On the origin of the so-called nucleation loop during electropolymerization of conducting polymers

During the potentiodynamic preparation of conducting polymers, cyclic voltammograms of many pi-conjugated monomers and oligomers often show a marked crossing or loop effect. The so-called "nucleation loop" of the first cycle has been ascribed to the nucleation process requiring an activation energy provided by an overpotential. This paper presents cyclic voltammograms of pi-systems with trace crossing as well as loop effects that suggest that the homogeneous formation of oligomeric redoxactive follow-up products from the starting species is responsible for this occurrence. As the investigated species are typical starting components of resulting oligomers or polymers, all these findings are evidence that similar mechanisms also hold for the formation of many other classical polymers with a "nucleation loop" like polypyrrole, and that the true reason for the nucleation loop is the comproportionation reaction between an oligomeric follow-up product and the starting "monomer".     

On the triplet nature of paramagnetic centers in conducting polymers

Temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibility of solutions and powders of polyaniline synthesized by oxidative polymerization using two methods were measured by ESR in the temperature range from 123 to 423 K. The dependences observed can be described by the integral of susceptibility of the polymer fragments in the triplet state over the singlet—triplet splitting from E ₁ to E ₂ with constant weight. The susceptibility of the fragments was accepted to obey the Bleaney—Bowers equation. The most part of the experimental dependences can be presented as the sum of the temperature-independent susceptibility and the susceptibility obeying the Curie law. The both susceptibilities are described in a single manner at E ₁ < 0. In some cases, the comparison of the calculated and experimental dependences makes it possible to determine the length of the fragments L. The conditions of polymer synthesis, heating, and water vapors affect the E ₁ and E ₂ values. A similar analysis can be applied to other conducting polymers. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 316–321, February, 2008.     

导电聚合物中的孤子态

指出SSH理论的不足，提出改进与扩充的模型Hamilton量．并对聚乙炔中单双键交替与孤子态的形成机制等作出分析与讨论，提出若干看法，有助于低维电导聚合物理论的完善．     

Spectroscopic studies of conducting polymers

Electronic and vibrational spectra of poly(p-phenylenevinylene) doped with donors or acceptors have been studied, together with the spectra obtained for the radical ions and divalent ions of its oligomers. The electronic absorption spectra of doped poly(p-phenylenevinylene) in the region from visible to near-infrared show two bands for the H₂SO₄-doped species and one very broad band for the Na-doped species. On the basis of the analyses of resonance Raman spectra, the two electronic absorption bands of the H₂SO₄-doped species are attributed to a polaron-lattice structure, whereas the broad band of the Na-doped species is attributed to overlapping absorptions associated with localized electronic levels of polarons and bipolarons. A Pauli spin susceptibility of the H₂SO₄-doped species is explained by the polaron-lattice structure.     

Polyphosphonates as ionic conducting polymers

Polyphosphonates, a class of polymers with the generic formula –[P(R)(X)–OR'O]_n–, exhibit a high degree of modularity due to the range of R, R', and X groups that can be incorporated. As such, these polymers may be designed with a polyethylene oxide (PEO) backbone (R' group) and employed as solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). Two PEO-containing polyphosphonate analogs (R = Ph; X = S or Se) were doped with LiPF₆ and their conductivities were measured. Conductivities were similar (X = S) to or exceeding (X = Se) those of standard PEO systems (just below 10⁻⁴ S/cm at 100°C). Binding models for Li⁺ were generated using ³¹P{¹H}NMR titration experiments. Binding of Li⁺ by these polyphosphonates followed a positive cooperativity model, and varying the X group (S or Se) affected the observed cooperativity (Hill coefficient = 1.73 and 4.16, respectively). The presence of Se also leads to an increase in conductivity as temperature is raised above the T_g, which is likely an effect of reduced Columbic interactions. Because of their modularity and ease with which cation binding can be evaluated using ³¹P{¹H} NMR titration experiments, polyphosphonates offer a unique approach for the modification of Li⁺ ion battery technology.     

Dynamics of polymers in a particle-based mesoscopic solvent

We study the dynamics of flexible polymer chains in solution by combining multiparticle-collision dynamics (MPCD), a mesoscale simulation method, and molecular-dynamics simulations. Polymers with and without excluded-volume interactions are considered. With an appropriate choice of the collision time step for the MPCD solvent, hydrodynamic interactions build up properly. For the center-of-mass diffusion coefficient, scaling with respect to polymer length is found to hold already for rather short chains. The center-of-mass velocity autocorrelation function displays a long-time tail which decays algebraically as (Dt)(-3/2) as a function of time t, where D is the diffusion coefficient. The analysis of the intramolecular dynamics in terms of Rouse modes yields excellent agreement between simulation data and results of the Zimm model for the mode-number dependence of the mode-amplitude correlation functions.     

Spin dynamics in conducting polymers

It is demonstrated that spin dynamics study is useful for what kinds of systems, on what theoretical basis of analysis, with what kinds of techniques and to get what kinds of information, showing a nice example of polyacetylene. Usefulness of electron spin resonance (ESR) study is stressed especially in a wide frequency range from 5 to 24000 MHz.     

Microactuators based on conducting polymers

In this contribution we report the use of polyaniline and polypyrrole for miniaturized actuators fabricated by microstructural and electrochemical technologies. The potential necessary to drive the actuator is typically less than 1 V, i.e. 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that necessary for the widespread piezoelectric actuator devices. This low voltage is imperative for future application of actuators of micrometer dimensions. The volume variation of polymers substantially exceeds that of piezoelectric materials. Different contributions to the actuator characteristics are discussed and evaluated semi-quantitatively.     

Prospects of conducting polymers in biosensors

Applications of conducting polymers to biosensors have recently aroused much interest. This is because these molecular electronic materials offer control of different parameters such as polymer layer thickness, electrical properties and bio-reagent loading, etc. Moreover, conducting polymer based biosensors are likely to cater to the pressing requirements such as biocompatibility, possibility of in vivo sensing, continuous monitoring of drugs or metabolites, multi-parametric assays, miniaturization and high information density. This paper deals with the emerging trends in conducting polymer based biosensors during the last about 5 years.     

纳米结构导电聚合物材料研究进展

具有纳米结构的导电聚合物因其诱人的应用前景越来越引起人们的重视。本文综述了聚苯胺、聚吡咯以及聚噻吩等导电聚合物的零维、一维、二维以及三维纳米结构的合成方法,并介绍了聚合物纳米结构的表征以及研究现状和应用前景。参考文献60篇。     

Rise and rise of conducting polymers

The discovery or, in a certain extent, rediscovery of polymers possessing high electronic conductivity launched a new field of research about 30?years ago. Electrochemistry has played a significant role in the preparation and characterization of these novel materials, which has served as a basis for many advanced applications in different areas spanning from the energy technologies to the health care. In this paper is intended to give a short summary of the history of this field, and based on the achievements until now—knowing the present limitations and opportunities—the tasks for the future are also discussed. In such a recapitulation, it is appropriate to mention the researchers who substantially contributed to the development of our present knowledge on conducting polymers during the past decades.     

Recent advances in the field of conducting polymers

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry the Topical Editor of Polymer Modified Electrodes and Polyelectrolytes surveyed the fields belonging to his area. The review emphasizes the developments in the last 5 years.     

Electroactive conducting polymers for corrosion control

This paper reviews the literature describing the effects of conducting polymer coatings on the corrosion rate of ferrous alloys (iron, steel and stainless steel). The literature is interpreted in terms of the proposed mechanisms of corrosion protection: barrier, inhibitor, anodic protection and the mediation of oxygen reduction. The most intriguing aspect of the reported literature are the studies demonstrating corrosion protection when deliberate defects were introduced into the coating to expose the bare metal. These studies show that protection afforded by conducting polymer coatings is not due to simple barrier protection or inhibition alone. Many studies illustrate that the polymer/metal interface is modified to produce passivating oxide layers and that charge transfer reactions occur between the metal and polymer. These studies support the proposed anodic protection mechanism, as do the reports of significant ennoblism. On the other hand, there is considerable variation in the reported shift in corrosion potential and these highlight the influence of substrate preparation, coating composition and mode of application and the nature of the electrolyte on the corrosion protection provided by the conducting polymer. For example, the evidence suggests that the emeraldine base form of polyaniline is superior to the emeraldine salt in terms of corrosion protection for steel. However, the number of direct comparisons is small and the reasons for the differences are not well understood. Also not well understood are the role of the counterion release and local pH changes on pinhole protection. It is also argued that the conducting polymer reduces the likelihood of large increases in pH at the polymer/metal interface and so stabilizes the coating against cathodic disbondment. Further work is clearly needed to increase the protection period by further studies on the corrosion protection mechanism so that the polymer composition and processing methods may be optimized.     

Reference electrodes based on conducting polymers

Several attempts to produce conducting polymer based all-solid-state reference electrodes are presented. Open circuit potential of conducting polymers is redox sensitive and Donan equilibrium dependent. Therefore, more sophisticated constructions are necessary. Most promising were bilayers composed of conducting polymers with different ion-exchanger properties.     

Electroactive conducting polymers for corrosion control

There is an intensive effort underway to develop new corrosion control coatings for structural metals. In part, this effort has been motivated by the desire to replace chromium(VI)-containing coatings currently used for corrosion control of iron and aluminum alloys. Cr(VI) has been shown to be hazardous to the environmental and to human health, and its use in many countries will be sharply curtailed in the coming years. Electroactive conducting polymers (ECPs) represent a class of interesting materials currently being explored for use in corrosion control coating systems, possibly as a replacement for Cr(VI)-based coatings. The electroactivity and the electronic conductivity (or semiconductivity) of ECPs set them apart from traditional organic coatings. As with chromate, interesting and potentially beneficial interactions of ECPs with active metal alloys such as steel and aluminum are anticipated, with concomitant alteration of their corrosion behavior. A review of this active research area will be presented in two parts. Here in Part 1, a general introduction to the topic of corrosion control by ECPs will be presented, including an overview of corrosion and its control by traditional methods, an introduction to ECPs and their properties, and a discussion of the processing issues surrounding the use of ECPs as coatings. Part 1 also includes a review of the literature on the use of ECPs as coatings (or components of coatings) on non-ferrous active metals, principally aluminum and aluminum alloys, although some work on zinc, copper, silver, titanium and silicon will also be described. In Part 2 of this review (to be published in the next issue of this journal), the rather extensive literature on the use of ECPs for the corrosion control of ferrous alloys (steels) will be reviewed. Electronic Publication