Inherently Conducting Polymer Nanostructures

• DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2002.142
• Publication Date: 2006-05-16T19:18:06Z
• Authors: Gordon G. Wallace; Peter C. Innis
• Keywords: Aniline Compounds; Semiconductors; Polymers; Electric Conductivity; Electrochemistry; Nanotechnology; Emulsions; Pyrroles; Colloids; Thiophenes; Crystallization

Inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) have been an area of intense interest over the past 30 years, culminating with the award of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to MacDiarmid, Heeger and Shirakawa. More recently the unique properties of these materials (e.g., higher conductivity, more rapid discrete electrochemical switching processes) apparent at the nanodimension have become accessible. Significant breakthroughs in synthesis and fabrication of inherently conducting polymers with nanodimensional control have made this possible. This review aims to discuss some of the synthetic approaches researchers have made in an attempt to probe the nano domain as well as some of the property enhancements afforded to these structures.