Electrochemically synthesised conducting polymeric materials for applications towards technology in electronics, optoelectronics and energy storage devices

The state of the art of novel electronically conducting polymeric materials is presented in this review. The special emphasis is laid on the electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymers (CPs) including the choice of the monomers and solvents, supporting electrolytes and electrodes and structural aspects of these novel materials and the nature of the dopants which induce electrical conductivity in conjugated organic polymers. Finally, an overview of various technological applications of these novel polymeric materials to electronics, optoelectronics devices like electrochromic cells, light emitting electrochemical cells and photoconducting devices, solar cells such as photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, p-n-semiconductors, metal-insulator-semiconductors (MIS), laser materials and energy storage applications like solid-state rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors has been presented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.