Term: conducting polymer
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.CT07170

Definition:
Polymeric material that exhibits bulk electric conductivity.

Notes:
0) The @E01926@ of a conjugated polymer is markedly increased by doping it with an @E01988@ or acceptor, as in the case of polyacetylene doped with iodine.
1) A polymer showing a substantial increase in @E01926@ upon @I03255@ with @UT07492@ or @VT07496@ light is called a photoconductive polymer; an example is poly(N-vinylcarbazole).
2) A polymer that shows @E01926@ due to the transport of ionic species is called an ion-conducting polymer; an example is sulfonated polyaniline. When the transported ionic species is a @P04906@ as, e.g., in the case of fuel cells, it is called a @P04906@-conducting polymer.
3) A polymer that shows electric semiconductivity is called a semiconducting polymer.
4) @E01925@ of a non-conducting polymer can be achieved by dispersing conducting particles (e.g., metal, @C00824@) in the polymer. The resulting materials are referred to as conducting polymer composites or solid polymer-electrolyte composites.

Related Terms:
1) electric conductivity (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E01926).
2) electron donor (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E01988).
3) irradiation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03255).
4) ultraviolet (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.UT07492).
5) visible (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.VT07496).
6) proton (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04906).
7) electric conductance (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E01925).
8) carbon black (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C00824).
9) polymeric (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.M03667).
10) conductivity (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01245).
11) photoconductivity (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04591).
12) semiconductor (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05591).

Source: PAC, 2004, 76, 889. 'Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003)' on page 898 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200476040889)

Citation: 'conducting polymer' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.CT07170

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