ABSTRACT
All polymeric devices that are lightweight, easy to fabricate, and inexpensive have been the focus of many research groups for several years and the discovery of intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) has made this dream a reality. Till date, there are many applications of ICPs: antistatic coatings, electro-chromics, organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs), batteries, photovoltaics, sensors, supercapacitors, etc. to name a few. The preparation of newer conjugated polymers with better properties has paved way to extend the applications of these specialty materials. Increasing energy demands has given the impetus for researching renewable energy sources such as the solar energy. Polymer-based photovoltaics have been considered as a cost-effective solution compared to the inorganic photovoltaics, and ICPs have played a key role in this regard. ICPs have been utilized as the transparent electrode as well as the light-harvesting dye in photo-voltaics with promising results. With the wealth of knowledge now available towards tuning the optoelectronic properties of these conjugated polymers, it is possible to tailor the ICPs to make photovoltaics with higher efficiency. In this chapter, optically transparent ICPs, which have been synthesized using different strategies for tuning the bandgap, are reviewed.
