ABSTRACT
Conjugated polymers (CPs), which are considered as intrinsic semiconductors due to their delocalized π-electrons, have attracted much research attention in the past three decades. CPs are organic materials and are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and simple heteroatoms such as nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. These polymers generally have a regular alternation of single and double bonds along the polymer chain. Conductivity in these materials arises uniquely from the extended and delocalized π-conjugation. Therefore, the polymer that possesses the electrical, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of a metal while retaining the mechanical properties and processability commonly associated with a conventional polymer, is termed as an “intrinsically conducting polymer,” which is more commonly known as a “synthetic metal.” A schematic representation of π-conjugation in poly(acetylene) is shown in Figure 16.1. Schematic representation of π-conjugation in poly(acetylene). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315371054/19a59aa6-1bb4-4d28-94c7-9f8cac6f3585/content/fig16_1_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
