Electrically conducting polymers: from fundamental to applied research

A review of the state of the art of electrically conducting polymers is presented. Special emphasis is laid on the nature of the doping processes which induce high electrical conductivity in conjugated organic polymers and on the nature of charge carriers such as solitons, polarons and bipolarons produced in them as a result of such processes. Various factors affecting the electrical conductivity of these polymers and the various models proposed to explain charge transport in them are also discussed. The present status of the structure-property relationship in these conducting polymers and the various routes currently pursued to tailor novel conducting polymers are also briefly mentioned. Finally the various applications of these novel electronic materials are described.