ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the molecular structures, basic properties, main applications, and the synthetic methods of the major classes of conjugated polymers. The conjugated polymers are the polymers with conjugated main chains, including polyacetylene (PA), polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PAn), polythiophene (PT), poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), poly(p-phenylene) (PPP), polyfluorene (PF), poly(thienylene vinylene) (PTV), etc. According to their steady state, research interests, and applications, they can be divided into doped conducting polymers and neutral conjugated polymers. The former include PA, PPy, PAn, PT, and PTV; and the latter include PPV, PT, PF, and PPP. For doped conducting polymers, the doping structures, doping properties, conductivity, absorption spectra, solubility, electrochemical properties, and their electrochemical preparation are described. For neutral conjugated polymers, the electronic energy level, optical properties, effect of side chain substitution, and various synthetic routes for the preparation of soluble conjugated polymers are elucidated.
