Chemistry and Physics of Polyacetylene, (CH)x: The Prototype Conducting Polymer

Download or read book Chemistry and Physics of Polyacetylene, (CH)x: The Prototype Conducting Polymer written by Alan G. MacDiarmid and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A method has been devised for synthesizing polyacetylene, (CH)x, of variable density ranging from 0.03 to 0.4 g/cc. The resulting polymer shows potential for microwave absorption. Polyacetylene can be chemically doped with resulting control of electrical conductivity over a range of 12 orders of magnitude. It has also been discovered that (CH)x can be reversibly p- and n- doped electrochemically, suggesting the possible use of conducting polymers in novel rechargeable batteries. Polyacetylene undergoes a semiconductor to metal transition upon p- and n-chemical or electrochemical doping. Magnetic, optical, I/R and phototransport changes associated with this transition show that soliton doping and soliton excitations play a dominant role in determining the electronic properties of the polymer. Keywords: Polyacetylene, Variable density, Microwave absorption, Electrical conductivity. (JES).