A large number of application areas using inherently conductive polymers have been developed and tested. Each is based on properties that are specific to these materials. Due to the recent development of several air-stable highly conductive polymers, and the fast entry of these products into the marketplace, several applications have already been possible, and numerous others are going to be easily realized.

The unique properties of inherently conductive polymers stem from (i) the possibility of fine-tuning the conductivity by adjusting the amount of dopant incorporated within the polymer, (ii) doping/undoping reversibility, and (iii) the optical absorption characteristics in the UV, visible and near infrared as well as its electromagnetic absorption characteristics.

Several polymers have been tested and proved to work in a variety of applications including batteries, capacitors, smart windows, light emitting diodes, transistors, photovoltaics, microlithography, corrosion control, conductive adhesives and inks, static dissipation, EMI shielding, radar/microwave absorption, direct plating, electrostatic powder coating, clean room applications, sensors, and drug delivery systems.The status of commercial products and devices will be given during the seminar.Examples of some polymers are shown below:

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The following is a short list. Any suggestions for additional books for listing in this section are welcome.

Conducting Polymers, Fundamentals and Applications: A practical Approach, P. Chandrasekhar Editor, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Hingham, MA (kluwer@wkap.com), ISBN 0-7923-8564-0, 1999, 760 pages, $168

Conductive Polymers and Plastics in Industrial Applications, L. Rupprecht Editor, A publication of the Society of Plastics Engineers (#9902), ISBN 1-884207-77-4, 1999, 290 pages, $135 (SPE member) or $160 (non member), Plastics Design Library, 13 Eaton Ave., Norwich, NY 13815 (Tel/Fax: 607-337-5080/337-5090).

Handbook of Conducting Polymers, 2nd edition, T. Skotheim, R.L. Elsenbaumer and J. R. Reynolds Editors, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1998, 1097 pages, ISBN 0-8247-0050-3, www.dekker.com

Intrinsically Conducting Polymers: An Emerging Technology, M. Aldissi Editor, 1993, 223 pages, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Hingham, MA (kluwer@wkap.com), ISBN 0-7923-2456-0

Proceedings of the International Conference on Synthetic Metals, held every two years and typically published by Elsevier as a special issue in the Journal "Synthetic Metals". The last meeting was held in Austria, July 16-21, 2000.

A book on electroactive polymers that focuses on actuator applications and edited by Y. Bar-Cohen has a chapter (Ch. 7) on conductive polymers. An outline can be found at http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/yosi/yosi-books.htm 

The following conferences are organized by the Materials Research Society (MRS) (www.mrs.org)