Undergraduate
  1. General chemistry  1.1. Introduction to Chemistry  1.2. Atomic Structure  1.2.1. Subatomic particles  1.2.2. Atomic Model  1.2.3. Quantum numbers  1.2.4. Electron Configuration  1.2.5. Periodic trends  1.2.6. Isotopes and their applications  1.3. Chemical bond  1.3.1. Ionic bond  1.3.2. Covalent bonds  1.3.3. Metal Bond  1.3.4. Hybridization  1.3.5. Molecular geometry and VSEPR theory  1.3.6. Bond polarity and dipole moment  1.4. Stoichiometry  1.4.1. Mole concept  1.4.2. Empirical and molecular formula  1.4.3. Limiting reactant and excess reactant  1.4.4. Percent Yield and Purity  1.4.5. Dilution calculation  1.5. States of matter  1.5.1. Gas Laws  1.5.2. Matter and Intermolecular Forces  1.5.3. Solid and Crystal Structures  1.5.4. Phase diagram  1.5.5. Plasma and supercritical fluid  1.6. Chemical reactions  1.6.1. Types of Chemical Reactions  1.6.2. Balancing Chemical Equations  1.6.3. Thermochemical reactions  1.6.4. Reaction energy profiles  1.7. Solutions and Mixtures  1.7.1. Concentration units  1.7.2. Syndrome properties  1.7.3. Solubility and Solubility Rules  1.7.4. Henry's Law and Raoult's Law  1.7.5. Partition coefficient  1.8. Chemical equilibrium  1.8.1. Law of mass action  1.8.2. Le Chatelier's principle  1.8.3. Reaction quotient  1.8.4. To use this online calculator for Equilibrium Constant, enter Equilibrium Constant (Eq.) and hit the calculate button. Here is how the Equilibrium Constant calculation can be explained with given input values -> 0.05 = 0.05/0.  1.8.5. Acid-base balance  1.9. Acids and bases  1.9.1. Arrhenius, Brønsted–Lowry, and Lewis definitions  1.9.2. pH and pOH  1.9.3. Acid-base titration  1.9.4. Buffer Solution  1.9.5. Acid-base indicator  1.9.6. Polyprotic Acids and Bases  1.10. Electrochemistry  1.10.1. redox reactions  1.10.2. Galvanic and Electrolytic Cells  1.10.3. Nernst equation  1.10.4. Electrolysis  1.10.5. Faraday's laws of electrolysis  1.11. Thermodynamics  1.11.1. Laws of Thermodynamics  1.11.2. Enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy  1.11.3. Spontaneity of reactions  1.11.4. Thermodynamic cycles (Hess's law, Carnot cycle)  1.12. Kinetics  1.12.1. Rate law and reaction order  1.12.2. Activation Energy and Catalyst  1.12.3. Collision theory  1.12.4. Reaction mechanism  1.12.5. Transition state theory
  2. Organic chemistry  2.1. Structure and relationships  2.1.1. Hybridisation in Carbon Compounds  2.1.2. Resonance and aromatization  2.1.3. Molecular orbitals  2.1.4. Inductive and mesomeric effects  2.2. Hydrocarbons  2.2.1. Hydrocarbons  2.2.2. Alkene  2.2.3. Alkynes  2.2.4. Aromatic compounds  2.2.5. Cycloalkanes and Conformation  2.3. Functional Group  2.3.1. Alcohols and phenols  2.3.2. Ethers and epoxides  2.3.3. Aldehyde and ketone  2.3.4. Carboxylic acids and derivatives  2.3.5. Amin  2.3.6. Esters and amides  2.3.7. Thiols and sulfides  2.4. Stereoscopic  2.4.1. Isomerism in Stereochemistry  2.4.2. Chirality and optical activity  2.4.3. Structural analysis  2.4.4. Diastereomers and Enantiomers  2.5.1. Substitution reactions  2.5.2. Elimination reactions  2.5.3. Addition reactions  2.5.4. Radical reactions  2.5.5. Rearrangement reactions  2.5.6. Pericyclic Reactions  2.6. Spectroscopy and structural analysis  2.6.1. Infrared Spectroscopy  2.6.2. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy  2.6.3. Mass Spectrometry  2.6.4. UV-visible spectroscopy  2.6.5. X-ray crystallography  2.7. Polymer chemistry  2.7.1. Addition and Condensation Polymers  2.7.2. Polymerization mechanism  2.7.3. Biodegradable Polymer  2.7.4. Conducting and smart polymers
  3. Inorganic chemistry  3.1. Coordination chemistry  3.1.1. Ligands and coordination compounds  3.1.2. Crystal field theory  3.1.3. Molecular Orbital Theory in Coordination Compounds  3.1.4. Jahn–Taylor distortion  3.2. Main Group Chemistry  3.2.1. Alkali and alkaline earth metals  3.2.2. Halogens and Noble Gases  3.2.3. Transition metals and their complexes  3.2.4. Lanthanides and Actinides  3.3. Solid state chemistry  3.3.1. Crystal lattices and unit cells  3.3.2. Defects in solids  3.3.3. Electrical and magnetic properties  3.3.4. Superconductivity  3.4. Bio-inorganic chemistry  3.4.1. Metal ions in biology  3.4.2. Enzymatic reactions with metals  3.4.3. Metal poisoning and detoxification  3.4.4. Metalloproteins and Metalloenzymes
  4. Physical chemistry  4.1. Quantum Chemistry  4.1.1. Wave–particle duality  4.1.2. Schrödinger Equation  4.1.3. Quantum Numbers and Orbitals  4.1.4. Atomic and molecular spectroscopy  4.2. Statistical mechanics  4.2.1. Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution  4.2.2. Partitioning functions  4.2.3. Bose–Einstein and Fermi–Dirac statistics  4.3. Chemical thermodynamics  4.3.1. Gibbs Free Energy  4.3.2. Phase transition  4.3.3. Thermodynamic efficiency  4.4. Surface chemistry  4.4.1. Absorption and Catalysis  4.4.2. Colloids and Emulsions
  5. Analytical Chemistry  5.1. Classical methods  5.1.1. Gravimetric Analysis  5.1.2. titrimeter  5.2. Instrumental methods  5.2.1. Chromatography  5.2.2. Spectroscopy  5.2.3. Electroanalytical methods  5.2.4. X-ray diffraction
  6. Industrial Chemistry  6.1. Petrochemistry  6.2. Chemical engineering principles  6.3. Green Chemistry  6.4. Pharmaceuticals and Drug Synthesis
  7. Biochemistry  7.1. Carbohydrates  7.2. Proteins and enzymes  7.3. Lipids and membranes  7.4. Nucleic acids  7.5. Metabolism and Bioenergetics  7.6. Enzyme kinetics and mechanism

Undergraduate → Organic chemistry → Polymer chemistry ↓


Conducting and smart polymers


Introduction to conducting and smart polymers

In the field of polymer chemistry, conductive and smart polymers are an exciting class of materials that have garnered significant interest due to their unique properties. These polymers have the ability to conduct electricity and respond to external stimuli, making them particularly valuable in a variety of technological applications. Unfortunately, to discuss conductive and smart polymers, we must first understand what polymers are and why these particular types are so special.

What are polymers?

Polymers are large molecules made up of repeating subunits called monomers. These monomers are covalently bonded to form long chains. Polymers are found everywhere, from everyday materials like plastics and rubber to biological macromolecules like proteins and DNA.

Polymer structure

The structure of a polymer significantly affects its physical properties. Polymers can have different structures such as linear, branched and cross-linked. The following is a simple representation of polymer structures:

Linear Branched Connected to the cross

Conducting polymer

Conductive polymers are unique because they can conduct electricity, a property that is not common in conventional polymers. This conductivity is due to their conjugated double bond system, which allows electrons to move freely along the backbone of the polymer chain.

Historical background

The concept of conducting polymers took shape in the 1970s with the discovery of polyacetylene, the simplest conducting polymer, characterized by variations in its single and double bonds.

            {... -CH=CH-CH=CH-CH=CH- ... }

The conjugated system in polyacetylene gives it the ability to conduct electricity, especially when it is mixed with a suitable substance to enhance its conductivity.

General conducting polymer

In addition to polyacetylene, other well-known conducting polymers include polyaniline, polythiophene, and polypyrrole. Each of these materials has different properties and applications:

  • Polyaniline (PANI): Known for its tunable conductivity and environmental stability. It is used in sensors and corrosion-resistant coatings.
  • Polythiophene (PT): Known for its flexibility and color-changing properties. It is used in organic solar cells and electrochromic devices.
  • Polypyrrole (PPy): Amazing for its ease of synthesis and good conductivity. It is used in batteries and electromagnetic shielding.

Mechanism of conductivity

Electrical conductivity in these polymers arises from their pi-conjugated systems. Upon external doping, charge carriers such as electrons or holes are introduced, allowing charge transport through the polymer. This is often described as an exhibit of soliton, polaron, or bipolaron phenomena.

Smart polymer

Smart polymers, also called stimuli-responsive polymers, are materials that undergo reversible changes in their properties or behavior in response to environmental stimuli. These can include changes in pH, temperature, light, or other chemicals.

Types of smart polymers

Smart polymers are classified based on the stimuli they respond to:

  • Thermo-responsive polymers: They adjust their solubility or phase according to temperature. An example of this is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), which becomes insoluble at temperatures above 32°C.
  • pH-responsive polymers: These polymers swell or shrink with changes in pH. They are very useful in drug delivery systems.
  • Light-responsive polymers: They change their properties or structure when exposed to different wavelengths of light.
  • Electrically-responsive polymers: They change their size or shape in response to an electric field.

Applications of smart polymers

Smart polymers have significant utility in a variety of areas:

  • Drug delivery: Smart polymers can release therapeutic agents in a controlled manner, responding to the biological environment.
  • Tissue engineering: Smart hydrogels support cell growth and can respond to physical stimuli.
  • Clothing and fabrics: These polymers can be used to make clothing that can adapt to environmental changes such as temperature and humidity levels.
  • Actuators and sensors: These are used in devices that can detect or react to environmental changes.

The future of conducting and smart polymers

Conducting and smart polymers represent the forefront of materials science innovation. As research continues, we expect their properties to increase, making them even more versatile in real-life applications.

Challenges and opportunities

Although they have enormous potential, there are many challenges to the large-scale use of conducting and smart polymers. Issues such as cost-effectiveness, mechanical robustness, and environmental sustainability need to be addressed to fully realize their potential. However, these challenges also provide enormous opportunities for research and development, paving the way for future technological breakthroughs.

Research Innovation Application

Commercial and environmental impact

The development of conducting and smart polymers could revolutionise many industries, improving product performance, creating new markets and reducing environmental impact. Their ability to provide adaptive solutions and improved efficiency could lead to significant business success and sustainability benefits.


Undergraduate → 2.7.4


U
username
0%
completed in Undergraduate

← Prev (2.7.3)
Biodegradable Polymer
Next (3) →
Inorganic chemistry

Comments 



Conducting and smart polymers

https://www.chemistryelite.com/ug/2.7.4?ceal=en