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13 pages, 4295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Entangled Conductive Structure of CB/PA6/PP MFCs and Their Electromechanical Properties

by Yu Wang, Song Liu, Huihao Zhu, Huajian Ji, Guo Li, Zhou Wan, Yulu Ma and Linsheng Xie

Polymers 2021, 13(6), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13060961 - 21 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2394

Abstract

In this work, carbon black (CB)/polyamide 6 (PA6)/polypropylene (PP) microfibrillar composites (MFCs) were fabricated through an extrusion (hot stretching) heat treatment process. The CB-coated conductive PA6 microfibrils with high aspect ratio were in situ generated as a result of the selective accumulation of [...] Read more.

In this work, carbon black (CB)/polyamide 6 (PA6)/polypropylene (PP) microfibrillar composites (MFCs) were fabricated through an extrusion (hot stretching) heat treatment process. The CB-coated conductive PA6 microfibrils with high aspect ratio were in situ generated as a result of the selective accumulation of CB at the interface. At the proper temperature, a 3D entangled conductive structure was constructed in the PP matrix, due to topological entanglement between these conductive microfibrils. This unique conductive structure provided the PP composites with a low electrical conductivity percolation threshold. Moreover, the electromechanical properties of conductive MFCs were investigated for the first time. A great stability, a high sensitivity and a nice reproducibility were achieved simultaneously for CB/PA6/PP MFCs. This work provides a universal and low-cost method for the conductive polymer composites’ (CPCs) fabrication as sensing materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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10 pages, 3844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Poly(ethylene oxide)/Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-Coated Polypropylene Membrane for a High-Loading Lithium–Sulfur Battery

by Li-Ling Chiu and Sheng-Heng Chung

Polymers 2021, 13(4), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13040535 - 11 Feb 2021

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4424

Abstract

In lithium–sulfur cells, the dissolution and relocation of the liquid-state active material (polysulfides) lead to fast capacity fading and low Coulombic efficiency, resulting in poor long-term electrochemical stability. To solve this problem, we synthesize a composite using a gel polymer electrolyte and a [...] Read more.

In lithium–sulfur cells, the dissolution and relocation of the liquid-state active material (polysulfides) lead to fast capacity fading and low Coulombic efficiency, resulting in poor long-term electrochemical stability. To solve this problem, we synthesize a composite using a gel polymer electrolyte and a separator as a functional membrane, coated with a layer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). The PEO/LiTFSI-coated polypropylene membrane slows the diffusion of polysulfides and stabilizes the liquid-state active material within the cathode region of the cell, while allowing smooth lithium-ion transfer. The lithium-sulfur cells with the developed membrane demonstrate a high charge-storage capacity of 1212 mA∙h g⁻¹, 981 mA∙h g⁻¹, and 637 mA∙h g⁻¹ at high sulfur loadings of 2 mg cm⁻², 4 mg cm⁻², and 6 mg cm⁻², respectively, and maintains a high reversible capacity of 534 mA∙h g⁻¹ after 200 cycles, proving its ability to block the irreversible diffusion of polysulfides and to maintain the stabilized polysulfides as the catholyte for improved electrochemical utilization and stability. As a comparison, reference and control cells fabricated using a PEO-coated polypropylene membrane and a regular separator, respectively, show a poor capacity of 662 mA∙h g⁻¹ and a short cycle life of 50 cycles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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15 pages, 20909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

2D and 3D Immobilization of Carbon Nanomaterials into PEDOT via Electropolymerization of a Functional Bis-EDOT Monomer

by Antonio Dominguez-Alfaro, I. Jénnifer Gómez, Nuria Alegret, David Mecerreyes and Maurizio Prato

Polymers 2021, 13(3), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13030436 - 29 Jan 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3933

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and conjugated polymers (CPs) are actively investigated in applications such as optics, catalysis, solar cells, and tissue engineering. Generally, CNMs are implemented in devices where the relationship between the active elements and the micro and nanostructure has a crucial role. [...] Read more.

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and conjugated polymers (CPs) are actively investigated in applications such as optics, catalysis, solar cells, and tissue engineering. Generally, CNMs are implemented in devices where the relationship between the active elements and the micro and nanostructure has a crucial role. However, they present some limitations related to solubility, processibility and release or degradability that affect their manufacturing. CPs, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) or derivatives can hide this limitation by electrodeposition onto an electrode. In this work we have explored two different CNMs immobilization methods in 2D and 3D structures. First, CNM/CP hybrid 2D films with enhanced electrochemical properties have been developed using bis-malonyl PEDOT and fullerene C₆₀. The resulting 2D films nanoparticulate present novel electrochromic properties. Secondly, 3D porous self-standing scaffolds were prepared, containing carbon nanotubes and PEDOT by using the same bis-EDOT co-monomer, which show porosity and topography dependence on the composition. This article shows the validity of electropolymerization to obtain 2D and 3D materials including different carbon nanomaterials and conductive polymers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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22 pages, 3197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Alternating Copolymers Based on Cyclopentadithiophene-Benzothiadiazole Dicarboxylic Imide with Reduced Optical Band Gap: Synthesis, Optical, Electrochemical, Thermal, and Structural Properties

by Ary R. Murad, Ahmed Iraqi, Shujahadeen B. Aziz, Sozan N. Abdullah, Mohamad A. Brza, Salah R. Saeed and Rebar T. Abdulwahid

Polymers 2021, 13(1), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13010063 - 26 Dec 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3463

Abstract

A series of alternating copolymers containing cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) flanked by thienyl moieties as electron-donor units and benzothiadiazole dicarboxylic imide (BTDI) as electron-acceptor units were designed and synthesized for solar cell applications. Different solubilizing side chains, including 2-ethylhexyl chains and n-octyl chains were [...] Read more.

A series of alternating copolymers containing cyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) flanked by thienyl moieties as electron-donor units and benzothiadiazole dicarboxylic imide (BTDI) as electron-acceptor units were designed and synthesized for solar cell applications. Different solubilizing side chains, including 2-ethylhexyl chains and n-octyl chains were attached to CPDT units, whereas 3,7-dimethyloctyl chains and n-octyl chains were anchored to the BTDI moieties. The impact of these substituents on the solubilities, molecular weights, optical and electrochemical properties, and thermal and structural properties of the resulting polymers was investigated. PCPDTDTBTDI-EH, DMO was synthesized via Suzuki polymerization, whereas PCPDTDTBTDI-8, DMO, and PCPDTDTBTDI-EH, 8 were prepared through direct arylation polymerization. PCPDTDTBTDI-8, DMO has the highest number average molecular weight (M_n = 17,400 g mol⁻¹) among all polymers prepared. The PCPDTDTBTDI-8, DMO and PCPDTDTBTDI-8, 8 which have n-octyl substituents on their CPDT units have comparable optical band gaps (E_g ~ 1.3 eV), which are around 0.1 eV lower than PCPDTDTBTDI-EH, DMO analogues that have 2-ethylhexyl substituents on their CPDT units. The polymers have their HOMO levels between −5.10 and −5.22 eV with PCPDTDTBTDI-EH, DMO having the deepest highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of the polymers are between −3.4 and −3.5 eV. All polymers exhibit good thermal stability with decomposition temperatures surpassing 350 °C. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have shown that all polymers have the amorphous nature in solid state. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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10 pages, 2114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Resistivity-Temperature Behavior of Intrinsically Conducting Bis(3-methoxysalicylideniminato)nickel Polymer

by Evgenii Beletskii, Valentin Ershov, Stepan Danilov, Daniil Lukyanov, Elena Alekseeva and Oleg Levin

Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2925; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122925 - 6 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2814

Abstract

Materials with a positive temperature coefficient have many applications, including overcharge and over-temperature protection in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The thermoresistive properties of an electrically conductive polymer, based on a Ni(salen)-type backbone, known as polyNiMeOSalen, were evaluated by means of in situ resistivity measurements. [...] Read more.

Materials with a positive temperature coefficient have many applications, including overcharge and over-temperature protection in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The thermoresistive properties of an electrically conductive polymer, based on a Ni(salen)-type backbone, known as polyNiMeOSalen, were evaluated by means of in situ resistivity measurements. It was found that the polymer was conductive at temperatures below 220 °C; however, the polymer increased in resistivity by three orders of magnitude upon reaching 250 °C. Thermogravimetric results combined with elemental analyses revealed that the switch from the insulation stage to the conductive stage resulted from thermally dedoping the polymer. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that a polymer retains its electroactivity when it is heated and can be recovered to a conductive state through oxidation via electrochemical doping in an electrolyte solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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14 pages, 8618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Assembly CNTs@PANi Coffee Rings on Poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) Triblock Copolymer for Largely Stretchable Electronics

by Ming Zhu, Ruifeng Zhang, Gang Chen, Wenjun He, Yaowei Chen, Deng-Guang Yu and Xiaoyan Li

Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2847; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122847 - 29 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2888

Abstract

In this paper, CNTs@PANi nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ oxidation polymerization of aniline, and their structure, morphology and conductivity were characterized. A mixed solvent of toluene and tetrahydrofuran was used to prepare dispersions of CNTs@PANi and poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer, and bilayer composite [...] Read more.

In this paper, CNTs@PANi nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ oxidation polymerization of aniline, and their structure, morphology and conductivity were characterized. A mixed solvent of toluene and tetrahydrofuran was used to prepare dispersions of CNTs@PANi and poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer, and bilayer composite film was prepared. According to the solvent phase separation and uneven evaporation flux, CNTs@PANi self-assembled into the interconnected coffee ring structure on the SEBS matrix. The prepared bilayer composite film had excellent stretchability, and the conductivity of the functional layer was close to that of CNTs@PANi, which could light up an LED lamp under 100% strain and restore the topological structure. Electrochemical tests showed that the bilayer film had obvious heterogeneity. The impedance characteristics of the CNTs@PANi functional layer and the SEBS matrix were analyzed, and its heterogeneous corrosion resistance mechanism further discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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9 pages, 2754 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D Interconnected Boron Nitride Networks in Epoxy Composites via Coalescence Behavior of SAC305 Solder Alloy as a Bridging Material for Enhanced Thermal Conductivity

by Youjin Kim and Jooheon Kim

Polymers 2020, 12(9), 1954; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12091954 - 28 Aug 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2706

Abstract

In this study, hybrid fillers of spherically shaped aggregated boron nitride (a-BN) attached with SAC305, were fabricated via simple stirring and the vacuum filtration method. a-BN was used as the primary conductive filler incorporated with epoxy resin, and these fillers were interconnected each [...] Read more.

In this study, hybrid fillers of spherically shaped aggregated boron nitride (a-BN) attached with SAC305, were fabricated via simple stirring and the vacuum filtration method. a-BN was used as the primary conductive filler incorporated with epoxy resin, and these fillers were interconnected each other via the coalescence behavior of SAC305 during the thermal curing process. Based on controlled a-BN content (1 g) on 3 g of epoxy, the thermal conductivity of the composite filled with hybrid filler (a-BN:SAC305 = 1:0.5) reached 0.95 W/mK (33 wt%) due to the construction of the 3D filler network, whereas that of composite filled with raw a-BN was only 0.60 W/mK (25 wt%). The thermal conductivity of unfilled epoxy was 0.19 W/mK. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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Review

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49 pages, 7182 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Thiophene-Based Trimers and Their Bioapplications: An Overview

by Lorenzo Vallan, Emin Istif, I. Jénnifer Gómez, Nuria Alegret and Daniele Mantione

Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13121977 - 16 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5266

Abstract

Certainly, the success of polythiophenes is due in the first place to their outstanding electronic properties and superior processability. Nevertheless, there are additional reasons that contribute to arouse the scientific interest around these materials. Among these, the large variety of chemical modifications that [...] Read more.

Certainly, the success of polythiophenes is due in the first place to their outstanding electronic properties and superior processability. Nevertheless, there are additional reasons that contribute to arouse the scientific interest around these materials. Among these, the large variety of chemical modifications that is possible to perform on the thiophene ring is a precious aspect. In particular, a turning point was marked by the diffusion of synthetic strategies for the preparation of terthiophenes: the vast richness of approaches today available for the easy customization of these structures allows the finetuning of their chemical, physical, and optical properties. Therefore, terthiophene derivatives have become an extremely versatile class of compounds both for direct application or for the preparation of electronic functional polymers. Moreover, their biocompatibility and ease of functionalization make them appealing for biology and medical research, as it testifies to the blossoming of studies in these fields in which they are involved. It is thus with the willingness to guide the reader through all the possibilities offered by these structures that this review elucidates the synthetic methods and describes the full chemical variety of terthiophenes and their derivatives. In the final part, an in-depth presentation of their numerous bioapplications intends to provide a complete picture of the state of the art. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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51 pages, 8151 KiB

Open AccessReview

Carbon Nanomaterials Embedded in Conductive Polymers: A State of the Art

by I. Jénnifer Gómez, Manuel Vázquez Sulleiro, Daniele Mantione and Nuria Alegret

Polymers 2021, 13(5), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13050745 - 27 Feb 2021

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 6550

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials are at the forefront of the newest technologies of the third millennium, and together with conductive polymers, represent a vast area of indispensable knowledge for developing the devices of tomorrow. This review focusses on the most recent advances in the field [...] Read more.

Carbon nanomaterials are at the forefront of the newest technologies of the third millennium, and together with conductive polymers, represent a vast area of indispensable knowledge for developing the devices of tomorrow. This review focusses on the most recent advances in the field of conductive nanotechnology, which combines the properties of carbon nanomaterials with conjugated polymers. Hybrid materials resulting from the embedding of carbon nanotubes, carbon dots and graphene derivatives are taken into consideration and fully explored, with discussion of the most recent literature. An introduction into the three most widely used conductive polymers and a final section about the most recent biological results obtained using carbon nanotube hybrids will complete this overview of these innovative and beyond belief materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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19 pages, 1145 KiB

Open AccessReview

Conducting Polymers in the Design of Biosensors and Biofuel Cells

by Simonas Ramanavicius and Arunas Ramanavicius

Polymers 2021, 13(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13010049 - 25 Dec 2020

Cited by 232 | Viewed by 10435

Abstract

Fast and sensitive determination of biologically active compounds is very important in biomedical diagnostics, the food and beverage industry, and environmental analysis. In this review, the most promising directions in analytical application of conducting polymers (CPs) are outlined. Up to now polyaniline, polypyrrole, [...] Read more.

Fast and sensitive determination of biologically active compounds is very important in biomedical diagnostics, the food and beverage industry, and environmental analysis. In this review, the most promising directions in analytical application of conducting polymers (CPs) are outlined. Up to now polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) are the most frequently used CPs in the design of sensors and biosensors; therefore, in this review, main attention is paid to these conducting polymers. The most popular polymerization methods applied for the formation of conducting polymer layers are discussed. The applicability of polypyrrole-based functional layers in the design of electrochemical biosensors and biofuel cells is highlighted. Some signal transduction mechanisms in CP-based sensors and biosensors are discussed. Biocompatibility-related aspects of some conducting polymers are overviewed and some insights into the application of CP-based coatings for the design of implantable sensors and biofuel cells are addressed. New trends and perspectives in the development of sensors based on CPs and their composites with other materials are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Conductive Polymer Materials)

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